


Life in Love

by Angel_Without_Wings



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst, Domestic Fluff, First Time, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Non-Explicit Sex, Slice of Life, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-07-23 13:07:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16159577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angel_Without_Wings/pseuds/Angel_Without_Wings
Summary: Levi’s home from France and he’s ready to be with the love of his life, Eren Jaeger.Sequel to Amusement Park Love,This will follow them and their growing relationship.





	1. Welcome Home

**Author's Note:**

> If you’re back from Amusement Park Love, WOW Thanks! I really wanted to write about Levi and Eren’s relationship, but I’m not sure if this is going to have much of a plot. I also got over excited and immediately wrote this chapter so please excuse me if it sucks lol  
> Also any dialogue in ‘’ means the characters are speaking French. I can’t figure out how to do italics, but once Farlan and Isabel leave, I’ll switch to actual (google translated) French words.  
> Enjoy?

Levi watched as the clouds rolled by and the ground got closer. The plane was descending onto the tar runway that awaited the giant structure. He could feel the eagerness of the passengers buzzing in the air as they finally reached their destination. Everyone was ready to get off the plane and go to wherever it was they were there for. Levi’s own eagerness was caused, not by a destination, but by a person. 

It had been seven months since Levi once again left the states. Seven months since he’d left his family and his loved one. Now he was back and ready to hold Eren again after what felt like an eternity. He would have left sooner, but leaving Farlan and Isabel to pay for a three person luxury apartment didn’t sit well with him. Not to mention the lease was under his name. So he waited for the renewal date before cutting ties with the apartment complex. He then took it upon himself to help his friends find a more affordable place for just two people. It all worked out and in the mean time Levi worked a few odd jobs to save up for a place of his own in the states. He’d been a barista, a tour guide, and a house keeper at a fancy hotel. He hated it. The people on the tour never payed attention and having to constantly repeat himself was a pain in the ass. The hotel was a nightmare. Some of the things he had to clean would be burned into his mind forever. He shivered at the thought of how unsanitary it had been. Sure, he had worn gloves, but sometimes he felt like the disgust of the rooms had clung to his skin nonetheless. The only decent job was his stint as a barista. Levi quite enjoyed the smell of the coffees and teas. The sounds of the machines brewing kept him relaxed on his shift. Only sometimes did he lose his shit with a customer, but that wasn’t his fault. Some people just didn’t know how to respect people who worked in food service. 

“Alright everyone, we’ve reached our destination, please exit carefully and thank you for flying Survey AirLines.”  
The overly sweet voice of the flight attendant said through the intercom. Levi’s heart raced in his chest. This was it. He was finally home and for good this time. It was an amazing feeling. Years ago Levi was sad and confused, struggling with where he should put down roots and continue his life. Now he was certain about where he was meant to be. It was the most refreshing feeling to finally find yourself.

Levi grabbed his black carry on bag and was tackled from behind as he stepped into the aisle.  
‘We’re here! I’m so excited to meet my big brother’s family and friends!’ Isabel shouted enthusiastically into Levi’s ear.  
‘It’s not like I needed my ear drum or anything.’ Levi stated as he pried Isabel’s arms off his neck.  
Farlan came up behind them and gently pushed them forward, it was his way of saying “get a move on” without actually saying it. Levi shot him a glare for treating him like a child before making his way down the aisle and towards the exit of the plane.  
‘I’m sure we’re all excited, but calm down a little Isabel.’ Farlan chided.  
Isabel didn’t bother listening to Farlan as she skipped off the plane. As soon as Levi’s feet hit solid ground he began speed walking toward the huge, glass paneled airport building. Eren had sent him a text earlier claiming that he’d be waiting for Levi at the gates and he needed to see those eyes up close and in person again. Video chats and photos did not do the exotic gold and deep green irises justice. He longed to hear Eren’s voice without any static obscuring his charming tone and his hands were itching to feel the warmth of Eren’s skin again. Levi didn’t care how desperate that sounded because it was the truth. He was so far gone when it came to Eren.

‘Big bro, slow down! I’m sure your precious Eren isn’t going anywhere without you!’ Isabel called from somewhere behind Levi.  
She sounded out of breath trying to keep up so Levi took pity and slowed his pace enough for her and Farlan to catch up. The pigtailed brunette fell into step next to Levi and Farlan fell into step next to her. He ran a hand through his short ash blonde hair and shot Levi a smug look.  
‘You’re so whipped.’ He teased.  
Isabel laughed and made the whipping motion and sound affect with her mouth. Levi rolled his eyes at the pair of overgrown children walking next to him. He was really beginning to question his choice of friends. Surely he could do better than two dorks who loved to give him hell. His feet carried him closer to the airport and soon they passed through the door and made it to the gates. Levi couldn’t stop his eyes from desperately scanning the crowd for that familiar mop of brown hair. The further he got into the building the harder his heart pounded. Where was Eren? Had he not remembered the time?

Levi wasn’t prepared for the body that slammed into his and the arms that threatened to snap his neck in half. It definitely wasn’t Eren’s body and that shrill screeching wasn’t Eren’s voice. Horror filled Levi as he realized who it was that was clinging to him. He was way to jet lagged to be dealing with this kind of lunacy.  
“Shorty I missed you! Eep it’s so good to have your grumpy ass back!” Hanji screamed.  
“Get the fuck off of me!” Levi demanded as he pushed at Hanji.  
Unfortunately they refused to budge and Levi was about ready to commit murder when the voice he’d been dying to hear spoke up from beside him.  
“I kind of wanted to do that.” Eren said, slightly disappointed.  
Hanji gasped dramatically and released their hold on Levi.  
“Oh hunny, I’m sorry I stole your moment!” They cried.  
After checking to make sure his neck was still intact, Levi turned his attention to Eren. He couldn’t begin to describe the feeling he got in that moment. It was almost as if the whole world stopped and everyone disappeared. All he could see was the beautiful vision in front of him. A moment passed before Eren was wrapping his arms around Levi, enveloping him in his warmth.  
“I really missed you.” Eren whispered.  
He pulled back and Levi could see the tears gathering in Eren’s eyes. His brat looked overwhelmed by his emotions as he wiped at the tears that had begun to fall. With out any hesitation at all, Levi grabbed a fistful of Eren’s shirt and pulled him down into a long overdue kiss. He poured as much love as he could into it and adjusted his angle to gain better access. Eren allowed him to deepen the kiss, only slightly hesitant in the action. Levi knew it’d been a while since Eren had done anything like this and was probably feeling insecure about it. He would’ve loved to keep the kiss going, but he needed air and he wasn’t sure he wanted the people in the airport to witness their make out session. He’d rather keep that private. 

When he pulled away Eren looked dazed, but happy. Hanji was standing next to Isabel and Farlan, practically shitting themselves with excitement.  
“You guys! You’re like something out of a movie! I’m so happy for you!” Hanji said while wiping away nonexistent tears.  
Levi noticed the confused looks Farlan and Isabel were shooting him and the uncertain looks they were giving Hanji.  
‘This is Hanji. The nutcase I was telling you about.’ Levi explained as he motioned in Hanji’s direction.  
There was a simultaneous “oh” from the two before Farlan took the initiative and stuck out his hand.  
“Farlan Church. Pleased to meet you.” He said full of confidence.  
Hanji grasped his hand tighter than expected and shook it far too enthusiastically.  
“Hanji Zoë! I’m afraid to know what Levi has told you about me.”  
“Nothing too bad.” Farlan half joked.  
As soon as Hanji let go of Farlan’s hand they grabbed both of Isabel’s and began shaking them like rattles.  
“Nice to meet you! You must be Isabel!”  
“Yes. Nice meeting you.” Isabel answered.  
Her voice came out hesitant and her accent thick. Levi knew English wasn’t her first language, but he didn’t doubt her intelligence for one second. He knew she’d be fine and if she needed a translator either he or Farlan were perfectly capable of helping her out.  
“That’s amazing. I’ve never heard you speak French before.” Eren said to Levi.  
He looked to be in complete awe of Levi’s language speaking skills. Levi made a mental note to bust out the French around Eren more often. He honestly didn’t know why he hadn’t done it before. Levi remembered that Eren was also bilingual, but unlike Levi who studied hard, Eren had been bilingual since he first started speaking.  
“And I’ve never heard you speak German before. I’d like to hear that some time.” Levi replied.

Luckily it didn’t take too long for them to locate the rest of their luggage. They all followed along behind Eren who lead them through the airport parking lot.  
“I’m pretty sure I parked over here.” Eren said as he continued onward.  
“Brat, my arm is about to fall off. You better be damn sure you parked over here.” Levi grunted in response.  
“No, I’m positive...I think.”  
“Eren, I swear if-“  
“There it is!”  
Eren shouted in excitement as his beloved Jeep came into view. It was an older model, black in color, with a few scratches here and there from the previous owner, but Eren loved it nonetheless. Levi could recall how excited he had been when he told Levi, via video, chat that he’d gotten his own vehicle. Parked next to him was Hanji’s blue van.  
“I have plenty of room for your luggage! Levi you can toss yours into my trunk and ride with Eren. I want to get to know these two more!” Hanji exclaimed as she pointed between Farlan and Isabel.  
‘Good Luck.’ Levi deadpanned to his two friends.  
He tossed his three black bags into Hanji’s trunk and quickly climbed into Eren’s Jeep. Eren climbed into the driver seat and turned to Levi, a huge smile on his face. Almost too huge. It almost looked like their was something else going on. Eren was buzzing with excitement in his seat and looking at Levi like he wanted to tell him something.  
“What?” Levi questioned.  
“Nothing! I’m just really happy to have you back.”  
“What is that you’re not telling me, Brat?”  
“Nothing!”  
Levi didn’t believe it, but he figured he’d find out sooner or later. Eren turned the key in the ignition and the engine roared to life. The radio came on full blast, Dio’s “Holy Diver” thumping in the speakers.  
“Sorry!” Eren apologized while he scrambled to lower the volume.  
Levi didn’t mind the music. It was just a bit of a surprise to suddenly have it blasting in his ears. Eren pulled out of the parking lot and started in the direction of Kenny’s. Levi would be staying there until he found a place to call his own, which he would hopefully do soon. He didn’t want to impose on Kenny anymore than he had to. Of course his uncle had told him he could stay as long as he liked, but Levi was an adult now. He needed to live on his own. Levi leaned his head against the car window and let his eyes drift shut. He was tired from the long flight and he felt the time difference in his bones. The sound of Eren humming along to his favorite songs was much appreciated and when he started to sing full out, Levi smiled to himself. 

The ride to Kenny’s wasn’t too long. The airport was an hour away, but it flew by like nothing. Levi knew he probably couldn’t say the same about Farlan and Isabel’s ride. He wondered how they were doing with Hanji. Don’t get him wrong, he loved Hanji, but sometimes they could be too much too handle. His ride with Eren consisted of Eren switching back and forth between singing his favorite songs and asking Levi random questions about his flight. Eventually Eren turned down a road that was all too familiar and Kenny’s house came into view. The front lawn looked freshly cut, the big oak tree still stood tall, and Kenny’s pick up truck was parked in the driveway. Next to it was a brand new mustang.  
“Who’s is that?” Levi asked.  
“Not sure.” Eren replied.  
That was odd. Maybe Kenny had company over? Levi didn’t get a chance to think on it too much because Hanji soon pulled up next to the mailbox and put it in park. Levi walked over to the van, fully ready to help unload, but was intercepted by Farlan.  
“Why don’t we relax first? We can unpack later?” He said.  
“Yeah! What he said!” Hanji chimed in.  
Levi attempted to sidestep Farlan, but was unsuccessful.  
“I’d rather we get unpacked now.” Levi stated.  
He just wanted to be done and relax, but Farlan didn’t seem to be having it. He continued to block Levi’s way and even went so far as to grab Levi by the shoulders and turn him in the direction of the house.  
“Come on big brother!” Isabel exclaimed from her place at on the door step.  
Eren stood next to her looking ready to burst. Hanji came up and grabbed Levi by the arm, effectively dragging him towards the door. Something was definitely going on. Eren moved to open the door and Hanji pushed Levi through it. He stumbled over the threshold and into the living room.  
“Surprise!”  
Levi was completely caught off guard by the chorus that greeted him. Standing in the room was Kenny, Aunt Hikaru, Uncle Kaleb, Mikasa, and Erwin. In his hands, Erwin held a cake that read “Welcome home” in big red letters. There were streamers hanging from the ceiling and presents on the couch.  
“Hi.” Levi said in mild confusion.  
Mikasa was the first to approach Levi. She hugged him and explained the situation.  
“We’re throwing you a welcome home party. It was Eren’s idea.” She said.  
Levi turned to see Eren smiling shyly.  
“I wanted to do something special.” He said.  
Levi’s heart melted to the floor. He didn’t expect Eren to do something like this for him. It made him love his brat even more.


	2. Parties and Kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi’s welcome home party and a moment alone with Eren

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my 8th time attempting to post this chapter today. I actually cried from frustration.  
> I want to thank Phoenix0610 for teaching me about the rich text option. I really wanted the italics for the French, but the site kept freezing every time I tried. So it’s original format still and the ‘’ indicate French.  
> I hope you guys like this. It helped me through a rough spot.

Parties weren’t usually Levi’s thing, not unless he really needed to get out, but he couldn’t help the giddiness that overtook him as Eren fretted around grabbing plates and pulling out drinks for him and their guests. Yes, you heard right. Levi Ackerman was giddy. Did it show on his face? Probably not, but he definitely felt it. After all the hugs, the welcome backs, and a few introductions, Levi and Eren were now sat comfortably on the couch. The few presents that were there had been moved to the coffee table. Everyone had pulled a chair in from the kitchen or the backyard and were sitting around chit chatting and eating cake. Farlan was telling everyone how Hanji had filled him and Isabel in on the secret during the ride to Kenny’s. It all made sense now why Farlan was so insistent on forgetting the luggage and going straight inside.

“You know, you didn’t do any of this shit the first time I came back.” Levi commented.  
“Levi! Language.” His aunt scolded from her place across the room. She was wagging her frosting covered fork at him in disapproval.  
Kenny, who was sipping a beer, let out a snort followed by a hearty laugh.  
“We’re all adults here Hikaru, let him be.” He said in Levi’s defense.  
Aunt Hikaru rolled her eyes before a smile spread on her lips. It was no secret that Kenny’s use of four letter words had probably influenced Levi’s own use of such crass language. His mother was always getting on Kenny’s case about not using that kind of language in front of small children to which Kenny would reply with a remark about not being father material. After Levi’s first use of the word “shit”, he was eleven and had stubbed his toe on the coffee table while running to answer the door to Mikasa, Kuchel went out and purchased a mason jar. She took a few colorful sharpies, an index card, and some tape to it and created the infamous “swear jar”. Oh how Levi loathed that thing. The amount of nickels and dimes he’d lost to it was ridiculous. One time, age 13 and having just lost a difficult video game level, Levi lost a whole five dollars to the jar for using the word “fuck”. He also lost use of his game console for the next two weeks. The jar stuck around until his mother passed. Whatever money was in it was split between Levi and Kenny and the jar was put into the pantry, never to be seen again. Levi’s eyes wondered over to the kitchen and he wondered if that jar was still sitting in there, hidden from their eyes and collecting dust instead of coins.

“You were only visiting the last time. Why celebrate that?” Mikasa’s voice brought Levi out of his reminiscence and back to the present.  
“I guess.” Levi answered with a shrug.  
“You also didn’t have such a cute boyfriend to plan this for you!” Hanji added.  
Levi put his hand on Eren’s knee and faced him, a small smile on his lips.  
“Thanks for this Eren, I really appreciate it.”  
“Ah it’s not that big a deal.” Eren said as he waved his hand around.  
Levi leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. Big deal or not, Eren had put this all together and that made it something special for Levi. There was a simultaneous “aww” from all the women in the room.  
“Should have taken a picture of big brother smiling.” Isabel said with a smirk.  
“I know right! It’s so rare that grumpy cakes smiles!” Hanji agreed.  
“We’ve just witnessed a miracle.” Erwin joked.  
“Honestly, I thought his face was broken when I first met him.” Farlan chimed in.  
Everyone started laughing and were now making comments about Levi’s face. How he looked like a serial killer, how he could scare children with his glare, and so on. Levi wasn’t sure, but he didn’t think that insulting the man of the hour was usually how these things went. He’d let them have their fun though. It was nice to see eveyone in such good spirits and both Farlan and Isabel fit in so well. It scared him just how well Isabel and Hanji got along. There energy was evenly matched and Levi wasn’t so sure he could handle that.  
“Well Eren, what did you think of Levi when you first saw him?” Erwin asked.  
“Oh uh...” Eren didn’t give a proper answer, he just blushed a pretty shade of red.  
More laughter erupted as everyone understood that probably meant he found Levi hot. 

A ring of the doorbell caught everyone’s attention. All heads turned towards the door as Uncle Kaleb got up to answer it. Standing on the other side were Armin and Grisha. Levi met Armin during his week visit and he really liked the little blonde kid. He reminded him a bit of Erwin at times to be honest. Of course Levi knew who Grisha was. Eren’s father was very accepting of Levi, only showing concern for his and Eren’s relationship sometimes. Levi hoped that after seven months of dating, Eren’s father could see how serious he was about Eren.  
“You made it!” Eren shouted in excitement.  
“Of course. I wanted to welcome Levi back properly.” Grisha answered.  
He and Armin walked in and were immediately handed cake by Hanji.  
“It’s good to see you again Levi.” Armin said with a warm smile.  
He pulled up a seat and placed a rectangular box onto the coffee table. It was elegantly wrapped in gold paper with a silver bow on it. Levi scanned over the rest of the packages that littered the table and felt the curiosity growing in him.  
“So what’s with the gifts?” Levi asked with a nod of his head in the direction of the table.  
“Well, since you’ll soon be finding a place of your own, Eren suggested we buy some stuff for your house. That way you don’t start off completely empty handed. I thought it was a brilliant idea.” Aunt Hikaru explained.  
That was actually really thoughtful. It would be a hassle to have to go out and buy everything. Not to mention the amount of money this would save him. Sure, he’d saved up for this, but he spent a good chunk of his earnings on something special. That something was tucked into the inner pocket of his suit case, still in its little velvet box. He’d be needing it one day. He felt it in his heart.  
“Why don’t you open your gifts?” Kenny suggested.  
Eveyone seemed to agree with that idea, all excited to see Levi’s reaction to their presents. The energy in the room was like that of Christmas morning or a birthday party. Levi reached forward and was immediately instructed by Mikasa to open her gift first. It was a medium sized box wrapped in checkered print paper. Levi lifted it and found that it was a pretty decent weight. He tore the paper off carefully, not wanting to make a mess and not wanting to ruin the wrapping, to uncover a blender for his future kitchen.  
“Do you like it?” Mikasa asked.  
Her facial expression hadn’t changed much, but Levi could see the hope and child like excitement in her eyes.  
“Yeah I do. Thanks Mikasa.” He replied.  
She smiled brightly at him before going back to her cake.  
“Oh! Oh! Open mine next!” Hanji said as they literally hopped up and down with their hand in the air.  
“Calm down four eyes, which one is it?” Levi asked.  
Hanji’s gift turned out to be the one wrapped in a planet themed paper. It was sloppily down and there was tape everywhere. It was almost impossible for Levi to get the wrapping off without making a huge mess. Thankfully, Eren picked up any piece of paper that fell to the floor and threw them into a small bag that Kenny had got up and brought to them. Hanji’s gift was a candle set.  
“Something to make the place smell nice.” They said.  
Levi made his way through the gifts. Aunt Hikaru and Uncle Kaleb had gotten him a waffle maker and a toaster, Erwin got Levi a fancy looking wall clock, Armin’s gift turned out to be a chef knife set, Grisha got him some pamphlets of apartment buildings in the area as well as some real estate agents business cards, and Kenny handed Levi a little box wrapped in old newspaper.  
The contents of the box shocked Levi. He pulled out the key and looked at Kenny in confusion.  
“Is this...”  
Kenny nodded his head.  
“Yup. That shiny new mustang is all yours runt.”  
Levi couldn’t believe what he was hearing. That car had to have been expensive as fuck. There was no way he could accept something like that. He hadn’t done anything to deserve a brand new car.  
“Kenny, I can’t keep this.” Levi said.  
“What? Of course you can. I went out and bought it for you so you’re keeping it.” Kenny quipped and took another sip of his beer.  
“But-“  
“But nothing. I’ve watched you work your ass off for years and I’ve seen you go through a lot. You deserve this, even though you don’t think you do. So be happy and put that key in your pocket.”  
Levi nodded his head and put the key away like he was told.  
“Thank you Kenny.”  
Kenny just smiled at him and went back to drinking his beer. Levi was really grateful for his uncle. Had it not been for him, Levi didn’t know what would have become of him. Kenny had always been there, a father figure when his biological father was no where to be found. He’d helped raise him, he’d let Levi and his mother live in his home, and he’d seen the worst of Levi when Kuchel left their world for a better place. Levi made a mental note to make sure he showed his uncle his appreciation a lot more. 

“What did you get for Levi, Eren?” Armin asked curiously.  
There was one box left on the table and Levi was dying to open it. He purposely left Eren’s for last. The brat was running at the back of his neck nervously.  
“It’s not as great as a new car, but I hope you like it.” Eren said.  
Levi tore the paper off and opened the box to find a picture frame laying upside down. He lifted it up and turned it over to see a photo of him and Eren. In the picture Eren was hanging off of Levi’s neck, Levi wore a side smile and was rolling his eyes, his hands coming up to hold onto Eren’s arms. Levi remembered taking that picture. It was the day before he left and Eren insisted they take a photo together. So while they were hanging out on the patio swing in Mikasa’s back yard she snapped the picture for them. Levi studied the picture and decided it was his new favorite possession. Eren looked so happy in it, his eyes shining like stars.  
“Is it ok?” Eren asked nervously.  
“I love it.” Levi answered as he went to kiss Eren on the cheek again.  
This would be the first item Levi would put up at his new place. That was for sure.  
“That’s a very nice gift, son.” Grisha stated.  
There was a look in his eyes that Levi couldn’t quite read. It seemed like Eren’s father was happy, but also sad at the same time. Maybe he just realized how grown and in love his son really was. Even though Eren had yet to say the L word. Levi still had hope.

About an hour later eveyone was heading home. Mikasa and her family had gotten a ride with Hanji while Erwin had been picked up and was being dropped off by Kenny. Armin has caught a ride with Eren’s father so they left together as well. Before they left the house Hanji helped unload all of the luggage from the back of the van. When that was done they wrapped their arms tightly around Levi’s neck.  
“I’ve never seen you this happy, I’m glad you’re staying.” They whispered fondly.  
Soon it was just Eren, Levi, Isabel, and Farlan. Eren stuck around to help clean up and get Levi and his friends settled in. Farlan and Isabel would be staying in the guest room, formally Levi’s mother’s room, and they went up to find blankets for the pull out bed.  
‘They should be in the closet somewhere.’ Levi said as he opened the doors to the closet.  
All these years and it still felt weird to be in his mother’s room, her stuff no longer there.  
‘Who gets the bed and who gets the pull out bed?’ Isabel asked him.  
‘I don’t know. Flip a coin or something.’  
At his suggestion Isabel bounced over to Farlan. She made a fist with her hand and slammed it into her palm.  
‘Rock, paper, scissors! Winner gets the bed!’ She challenged.  
Farlan took her up on it and the two ended up doing multiple rounds of the game. Eren watched in amusement until Levi pulled him out of the room and into his own. Once there he couldn’t hold back anymore. He slammed Eren against the wall and smashed his mouth against his. Eren was a little shocked at first, but soon got into the kiss. When Levi had kissed him at the airport he found that the little taste he’d gotten then just wasn’t enough. Not after seven months of being away from Eren. He was like an addict coming back for his fix. He kissed him deeper, harder, and prodded at Eren’s lips with his tongue and was granted access. His taste buds were overwhelmed by Eren’s own tongue, attempting to mock the actions of his. He nipped at Eren’s bottom lip and pulled back when he heard a small gasp come from Eren. They were both panting, in need of air.  
“I’m sorry. Was that too much?” Levi asked in genuine concern.  
He didn’t want to push Eren’s limits without it being ok. He knew that the physical aspect of the relationship was still new territory for Eren. This was the first time since their kiss at the amusement park that Levi had kissed him like that. Everything had always been short and sweet. Their kiss at the airport was bordering on what Levi really wanted to do, what he just did with Eren against the wall. The brunette smiled at Levi.  
“It’s fine. I liked it.” Eren said, his cheeks pink.  
Levi wanted to kiss him again, but the sounds of Isabel and Farlan looking for him kept him from doing so.  
“Let’s go help those idiots out.” Levi said.  
“Ok.” Eren responded.  
Levi grabbed his hand and led him out of the room. Levi could hear his friends arguing from down the hall. It probably had something to do with the bed situation. Levi loved Eren, but he made no promises that he wouldn’t leave his brat to deal with the two “adults” in the other room.


	3. A Day Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Exactly what the title says

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo if I started Amusment Park Love in March and that took place in a day and it’s been 7 months time skip...that should put them in October...right? That’s what I’m going with. :)

Levi welcomed the cool October air as it caressed his face. His body was kept warm by a plain grey long sleeve and some simple black jeans. One hand was shoved into a pocket for warmth, the other held onto Eren’s as they walked. Eren donned a black hoodie that looked more grey-ish than anything. It was clear he’d worn that article of clothing multiple times over a number of years. Tight white skinny jeans finished off the look and Levi had to admit this was probably his favorite pair of pants on Eren. He’d told him that when he picked him up that morning and the brunette nearly blew a fuse from the compliment. It was adorable. 

The two had enjoyed a breakfast date that morning at a small cafe. Eren had gone to town on a stack of specialty pancakes, pumpkin flavored for the season, and Levi had enjoyed an egg white omelette. They intended to spend the whole day together. Levi felt bad at first, he wanted to take Isabel and Farlan out as well, but they insisted that he and Eren deserved some quality time together. At the moment the two were strolling through Stohess Park and enjoying each other’s company. Eren was happily sipping on some hot cocoa as they walked aimlessly around the park.  
“Doesn’t it feel amazing out here?” He asked Levi with a dreamy smile.  
“It feels pretty good.” Levi replied honestly.  
“Just pretty good? Doesn’t it give you that fall feeling? Kind of that lightness in your chest and the excitement that the holidays are around the corner.”  
Levi shrugged. The weather felt nice and all, but he was never that person to get excited and obsess over a season. Although the fall did have some of the best weather. Not too hot and not too cold.  
“I guess so.” He replied.  
“Well, I really like it,” Eren said, “fall was also my mom’s favorite season. She would decorate and spend a lot of time in the kitchen. She made the best zwetschgenknödel.”  
“She made...what?”  
They both scooted aside as a runner zoomed past them, leaving only a small cloud of dust behind as the sound of shoes crunching against the man made trail faded into the distance. Eren took another sip of his cocoa and smiled at Levi.  
“Plum dumplings. They’re super good. I kind of know how to make them, but they’re nothing like my mom’s.” Eren supplied.  
“What did you say they’re called?” Levi asked.  
“Zwetschgenknödel?”  
“Yeah, that. So both your parents are German?”  
Levi was genuinely curious about Eren’s lineage and knowledge of the German language.   
“Mhm. My grandparents came from Hamburg and had my dad here in the states where he was raised. My mom moved here in her early twenties.”  
“That’s interesting. So that’s why you’re bilingual, right?”  
“Yup. My mom had a thick accent and it was easier to talk to her in German than in English sometimes. My dad is like me, either language is fine.”  
“Fascinating.”  
Eren led Levi on a slight detour towards a trash can and discarded his empty paper cup. Next to the trash can was an old looking bench. Eren plopped down onto it, dragging Levi down with him. It seemed Eren enjoyed hand holding very much. He was always quick to grab on to Levi and reluctant to let go. It could have something to do with the time they spent apart or it could just be that Eren liked the contact, either way Levi didn’t mind. It wasn’t like Eren cried or begged when he let go so Levi knew it wasn’t a possessive or unhealthy habit.   
“You studied to learn French right?” Eren asked from beside him.  
“I studied my ass off.” Levi answered.  
“You’re so good at the language though. How did you do it? I can’t even remember anything from Spanish class and I took it for two years.”  
“Well, I had motivation. It was more than getting a high school credit for me and that really helped. Once I started I never stopped. I found an online tutor and took those extra lessons in my free time. I even watched things in French to better understand how a conversation should sound. Meeting Farlan and Isabel really helped me get more comfortable and fluent in the language as well.”  
“That’s incredible. I just grew up with my knowledge, I never questioned it or thought about how I knew it, it was just natural.”  
“That’s pretty incredible too...you need to make me your zepplindoodles sometime.”  
Eren looked at Levi in utter confusion before he burst into a bright bubbly laughter that complemented the rays of the sun and the crispness of the air.   
“It’s zwetschgenknödel!” Eren corrected between chuckles before cracking up again.  
“I’m trying Brat.” Levi stated with a fond smile on his face.

After getting up and walking around the park one last time, the two finally got back into Levi’s car and took off down the road. Their next activity wasn’t exactly a date, but it was something Levi wanted Eren around for. The engine of his mustang hummed nicely and the new car smell filled his nose. Levi wouldn’t say he was a big car guy, but he could definitely appreciate them and thanks to Kenny he knew his way around them. Eren had flipped the radio on and set it to a station playing Metallica. Levi slowed to a stop as the light in front of them turned from yellow to red.  
“Where are we starting at?” Eren asked over Kirk Hammett’s wailing guitar.  
Levi drummed his fingers against the steering wheel and hummed in thought.  
“There’s an apartment complex not too far from here that I wanted to check out.” He answered.  
“An apartment?”  
“Yes. Why? Is there something wrong with that?”  
Eren waved his hands around in panic. He was obviously worried he’d offended Levi somehow.  
“No! No, I was just wondering why an apartment again? Don’t you want a house to live in and call your own?” He asked with big questioning eyes.  
Levi did want a house. He wanted a home that was nice and clean, somewhere he could decorate as he pleased, a place he could sleep in without people stomping around on the top floor, a dining area for family gatherings, a yard he could trim, and a roof he could hang holiday lights from. Somewhere he could grow old in comfort. Levi wanted that and he wanted it with the one person who meant the world to him, the boy with the mesmerizing gold and green eyes who was staring at him waiting for an answer.  
“I would like a house, but I need to think financially. I might not be able to afford a thousand dollar home as opposed to an 800 dollar apartment.”  
“I guess that’s true.”  
“I still plan on looking at some houses, I just need to have multiple options.”  
Eren nodded his head and fiddled with the volume of the radio. The light changed colors after what felt like an eternity and Levi started down the road again. Eren was looking out the window as they entered a neighborhood. The houses were pretty cookie cutter in design, but they still looked nice. Some of them were decked out in Halloween decorations and those were the ones that peaked Eren’s interest. For someone who was terrified of ghosts and things of that nature, he sure was enjoying the spooky scenery. Eren made a sound of amazement and attempted to keep whatever it was he’d seen in his line of sight for as long as possible. Levi watched Eren turn in his seat until he couldn’t anymore and the object of his fascination vanished behind them as they drove on.   
“Something catch your eye? Not another man I hope.” Levi joked.  
“Wha-wha-no! I saw a pumpkin!” Eren sputtered and explained.  
“A pumpkin? That’s it?”  
“Ok, first of all it was huge and second it was carved into the Death Star! It was so amazing!”  
“That is pretty badass.”  
Levi kind of wished he’d seen that pumpkin. He knew people could get really creative when it came to pumpkin carving. Levi wasn’t too fond of the activity, the mess was a pain in the ass, but he could appreciate good art.

They exited the neighborhood and pulled up to an apartment complex named “Sina‘s Walls”. There was an open black gate and a winding road that split off into multiple directions. The buildings varied from two story to one story, the panels of their walls were a maroon color, there were stairs and balconies with silver railings, the doors to all the apartments were black, and the surrounding area looked to be in good condition. The grass was neatly trimmed, there was shrubbery lining some of the buildings, concrete pathways led to people’s front doors, and trees of different ages were scattered around. Not bad at all. Levi followed the road to the front office building and parked in a guest spot. The office looked like the rest of the buildings, but a bit more lavish. They walked through the door and into a room with grey carpeting, black leather furniture, and a huge desk right in the middle. A woman in a red button down with long black hair and perfectly manicured nails sat typing away at a computer. The sound of her nails hitting the keyboard created a loud clicking noise that filled the room. Levi cleared his throat to catch her attention. Her head snapped up and her cherry red lips formed into a welcoming smile.  
“Welcome to Sina’s Walls. How can I help you today?” She asked in a peppy voice.  
“I saw online that you had some available spaces and I’m interested in checking them out.” Levi replied.  
“Oh! Yes! We have several spaces that have opened up in the last two months. Why don’t we talk price ranges and then we can see if there’s a spot here for you.”   
Levi and Eren took a seat in the two chairs stationed in front of the desk. The woman, Marlene according to her name tag, pulled out some papers covered in floor plans and numbers. She laid three out in front of them and pointed at the first.  
“So these are the types of apartments currently available. This first one here is 631 square feet, our smallest space, with one bedroom and one bath. The price is 735 a month.” She informed as she circled the big black numbers with a blue ink pen.  
Eren leaned closer to get a better look at the floor plan. It wasn’t anything special, just your basic apartment building. The price wasn’t too bad for one person to handle. Marlene then pointed to the next paper in the row.  
“This one is a little larger. It’s 710 square feet, but still one bedroom one bath. The price for this one is 775 a month and as you can see the layout is slightly different,” she said before moving on to the last floor plan, “and this is one of our bigger options. This particular plan is more of a town home type. You get your own little two story with three bedrooms and two baths. It’s 1238 square feet and 1240 a month.”  
Levi saw Eren’s jaw basically hit the floor and had to stifle a laugh. The kid was shocked by the price of rent. Wait until he saw what a fancy home in a good neighborhood would cost. More or less the same price.   
“You should know that the first two plans require a $150 deposit and the last one requires a $350 deposit.” Marlene informed.  
Eren’s jaw unhinged further at the information. Levi reached over and tapped beneath his chin.  
“You’re gonna catch flies like that.” He teased.  
Eren open and shut his mouth like a fish. His eyes were wide in shock. Poor thing was getting his first taste of the adult life and quickly realizing it is expensive as fuck.  
“Can you afford something like that?” Eren asked Levi.  
“Probably not a thousand something a month, but the smaller ones seem doable.”   
Marlene perked up and quickly discarded the third floor plan.   
“Is there one in particular or do you want to take a look at both?” She asked, eager to snag a new tenant.  
“We can look at both.” Levi answered.  
Marlene clapped her hands together and quickly stood up from her seat. She opened a desk drawer and pulled out a set of keys.  
“Excellent! Just follow me and I’ll show you to some available spaces.”  
Levi and Eren were led to one of the buildings and up the stairs. Marlene opened up the door to an empty apartment and showed them both inside. She flicked the light switch and revealed the inside of the place. The white walls made it feel emptier somehow. The carpet was a neutral cream color and covered the floors of all the rooms except the kitchen and restroom. The counter tops were grey and made to look like real granite. Marlene led the way happily all the while talking up the apartment.   
“Eren, what do you think of the space?” Levi asked.  
“It’s ok. I’m not too crazy about the bathroom. It’s a little cramped in there.”  
Levi nodded and put that mental note away.   
“What about the kitchen?” He asked.  
Eren walked into the kitchen area and looked around. He ran his hand over the counter tops and smiled.  
“I really like this design.”  
Another note stored away in Levi’s mind.  
Marlene walked over to the double doors in the living area and opened them up. Levi and Eren followed her and they all stepped onto the small balcony. Eren leaned over the railing and took in the view. It wasn’t much, just rooftops and roads, but it wasn’t bad. It could have been the back of a building or something.   
“You like the balcony?” Levi asked him.  
“I like being outside and having a place to put lawn furniture to sit in at night and watch the stars.” Eren replied.  
Levi added that to his growing collection of mental notes. Eren wanted a big bathroom, granite counter tops, and a patio for furniture and star gazing. Levi wanted to give that to him. It would be pricey, but they’d be happy.   
“So what do you think?” Marlene asked.  
“It’s alright.” Levi replied.  
“How about we take a look at the next one?”  
Levi nodded his head and let Marlene lead him and Eren to the next apartment. It was styled the same as the last, but the layout was different as Marlene had stated back in the office. The bedroom was on the opposite side the other had been and the kitchen, as well as the bathroom, were bigger. Just like their first stop, Levi wanted to know what Eren thought of it and the brunette was more than happy to provide his opinion. Marlene would chime in with her thoughts to which Levi would just nod his head. It wasn’t long before they were headed back to the office with Marlene already talking about needing Levi’s monthly income. As they sat back down at her desk Levi broke the news that he needed to think on it before he decided anything. Marlene seemed slightly disappointed, but smiled nonetheless and handed over her business card. Levi liked the apartment well enough, but he didn’t want to decide anything without being one hundred percent sure he was happy with it. 

“Are we going to look at another apartment?” Eren asked Levi as they headed down the road.  
“No. Not today anyway. I was thinking we could stop by the store.”  
“What for?”  
“I thought maybe you’d want to carve a pumpkin with me.”  
Levi didn’t even have to look at Eren to know that his eyes had gone wide in excitement. Levi decided that the mess would be worth it and he was curious to see what Eren could do. They’d pick out a pumpkin and carve it once they got done with their day. The neighborhood market wasn’t very busy at the moment and Levi was lucky to find a parking spot up close. Before they even got out of the car they could already see the pumpkin display set up outside the automatic doors of the store. They were piled high into big black bins while some were set out on a metal looking shelf. Eren got off the car first and Levi followed. They stopped in front of a bin and studied the pumpkins at hand.  
“It has to be perfect.” Eren stated.  
“And clean.” Levi added.  
“Yes, that too. Big or small?”  
“Doesn’t matter.”  
“Big it is.”  
Eren pulled a decent sized pumpkin up for Levi to see. It was a dull orange and the side had a grayish looking dusting to it. Levi shook his head no and Eren put the pumpkin back only to pull up another. This one was huge and a bright orange color. It wasn’t exactly the perfect shape, but it looked to be in good condition.  
“I think this is the one.” Eren said as he cradled the gigantic pumpkin in both arms.  
“That’s a nice one.” Levi agreed.  
Eren looked happy to have picked out the perfect pumpkin. Levi stepped within the line of sight for the automatic doors and they opened with a loud sliding sound. He motioned with his head for Eren to follow and watched as the brunette struggled to walk with the huge pumpkin weighing him down.   
“Why don’t we get a basket? There’s some stuff I want to get. It won’t take too long.” Levi suggested.  
“I’m fine. It’s not even that heavy.” Eren stated like the stubborn brat he was.  
“If you say so.”  
Levi led them into an aisle loaded with Halloween items. There were some kids and their parents searching through the shelves for the perfect spooky items.  
“I thought maybe we could decorate your house together.” Levi said.  
Eren smiled wide and adjusted the pumpkin in his arms.  
“That would be fun.” He said.  
Levi gravitated towards some hanging decorations. There were some cute white ghosts to hang from the trees, some black and orange garland, big black bats, and some creepy looking ghouls or whatever they were with sneering faces and torn cloaks. He picked up one of the ugliest creatures and shoved it towards Eren’s face.  
“I think this one is a winner.” He said teasingly.  
Eren cringed and took a step back.   
“No thanks,” Eren replied, “I think I’d have a heart attack if I looked out my window and saw that hanging from my tree.”  
Levi chuckled at Eren’s honesty. He was only teasing. He could never forget how frightened he had been back at the haunted house of the amusement park. He figured Eren would spring for the cuter Halloween items like the colorful signs and the black cats. Levi put the hideous monster back on its hook and picked up one of the smiling white ghosts.  
“Better?” He asked.  
Eren nodded and Levi picked up three more. Next he picked out a string of lights. They were purple and orange and had a timer for a flashing effect.   
“Do you like these lights?” Levi asked.  
Eren adjusted his pumpkin once again and let out a small huff. He looked at the lights and smiled.  
“We can wrap those around the trees we hang the ghosts from.” He replied, sounding slightly winded.  
Levi could tell he was starting to struggle with the weight of the pumpkin. Eren would shift it every few seconds.   
“I told you to get a basket Brat.” Levi chided.  
“I don’t need one.” Eren said unconvincingly.  
Levi chuckled and picked up a pack from the shelf. Eren scooted closer and leaned his pumpkin up against one of the shelves. He put his chin on Levi’s shoulder and looked down at the bag in his hand.  
“What are those?” Eren asked.  
“They’re basically trash bags, you fill them with leaves and sit them out in your yard. They look like jack o lanterns when they’re full.” Levi explained.  
“Can we take them?”   
“Sure.”  
“Wait...”  
Eren straightened up and Levi turned to face him. He was biting his bottom lip and looked guilty.  
“What?” Levi asked.  
“Who’s paying for all this?”  
“Don’t worry about it. I got it all covered.”  
“But...”  
“It’s fine Brat. This shit doesn’t cost much anyway. Now let’s go check out before your arms fall off.”  
“My arms are fine thank you very much.”  
Levi rolled his eyes and turned away. Maybe after they paid for everything he’d take Eren to go get a donut or something. They’d had a big breakfast so he didn’t think they’d actually eat again until dinner. In the meantime they could get Eren’s house all dressed up for the holiday and get that pumpkin carved. Levi was very curious to see what Eren would attempt and knowing the stubborn brat huffing and puffing behind him with his huge ass pumpkin, he’d attempt something way more complicated than he could handle. This would be fun.


	4. Trick or Treat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I’m really disappointed with the entire second half of this chapter. It was super hard to get a good moment to myself this week and I really wanted to do a Halloween thing so it’s pretty rushed and sloppy.  
> Also I know in the last chapter Eren was shocked by the price of rent and here I describe him as semi rich, but I just wanna say his dad handles all the finances and he knows he can’t rely on his father’s money forever. So it was kind of a shocker to learn how exspensive living on your own really is.  
> Ok. I think I’ve rambled enough. Let me know what you think of this and beware the mistakes. I’m on candy duty tonight and couldn’t post when I wanted or edit properly.

Levi had almost forgotten just how lavish Eren’s house actually was. The first time he saw Eren’s home was at night and he’d only stood on the front porch. The next time he saw it he was blown away by just how elegant it really was. The thing was practically a mini mansion and the inside was no less exquisite. As he stood in the dining area on pristine wooden floors, near a mahogany table, under the illuminating soft white light of a crystal chandelier, Levi felt that sense of awe yet again. He’d come from a much more humble upbringing, not to say that Eren was pretentious because he was quite the opposite, and being in a house of such a high caliber left him feeling somewhat out of place. It was only when Eren spoke up that Levi felt grounded once again.  
“I’m going to put this in the kitchen.” Eren wheezed, pumpkin nestled in his arms.  
Levi followed Eren into the adjacent room and watched him heave the mass of orange onto the black marble counter top of the kitchen island.  
“Why don’t we just use the dining table?” Levi questioned.  
The table had much more room for them to work so it made more sense to use that space instead. Eren popped his back with a crack that had Levi concerned for his boyfriend’s spine and led him out of the room.  
“We are using the table, but I want to put some old newspapers down to prevent it from getting too messy.” Eren explained.  
He led Levi through the dining area and into another room with a front facing washer and dryer combo. Once there he opened another door that took them into the two car garage. He flipped a switch on the wall and descended the concrete steps.  
“Also this will make clean up a lot easier.” He added.  
Levi couldn’t be happier that Eren was thinking about the clean up process. Knowing he wanted to keep things as clean as possible had Levi wondering what he did to get so lucky. Eren came up to an old looking cardboard box. The brown of the material had faded away and the sides drooped downward in ripples like they’d cave in at any moment. Eren opened it up and Levi peered over to get a good look at its contents. Inside were stacks of old newspapers from many different dates. From what Levi could tell they went as far back as months, maybe even a year or so.  
Eren picked up a small stack and turned towards Levi. Truth be told, Levi wasn’t too keen on touching something that had been sitting around in such a musty old box for who knows exactly how long. His face contorted into one of disgust at the sight of the black and white inked papers.  
“Don’t worry. We don’t need too much and I won’t make you carry any so you won’t have to get your hands dirty.” Eren informed.  
Had that last bit about not getting his hands dirty been said by anyone else, it would have come across as teasing or irritated, but not with Eren. With Eren he was simply keeping Levi in mind and the older male swore he heard the choir singing and saw the rays of heaven shining down on Eren.  
“God, you’re so perfect.” Levi breathed out.  
Eren chuckled and began walking back towards the door.  
“Glad you think so.” He replied.

Levi watched as Eren began unfolding the newspapers and laying them flat across the surface of the table. He was still opposed to touching the filthy paper, but he felt like he should be helping Eren set up. Although it didn’t look like it was a task that required multiple people.  
“So why do you have so much old newspapers?” Levi asked as he crossed his arms and leaned against the nearest wall.  
“Dad likes to keep them around. They come in handy sometimes,” Eren answered, “hey can you go grab the pumpkin?”  
“Sure.”  
Levi pushed himself off the wall and walked back into the kitchen. He had yet to actually carry the pumpkin and was surprised by the weight of it. He almost felt bad for teasing Eren back at the store. Almost. When he reentered the dining area he quickly realized that Eren had stopped spreading the papers out. He would’ve assumed he was done if he didn’t notice the way Eren was staring down at one of the headlines. His eyes seemed so far away, so pained.  
“Eren?”  
There was no reply. Concern flooded Levi’s being and intensified when sparkling tears began to collect in Eren’s mismatched eyes. Levi shuffled closer to the table and put the pumpkin down. Eren didn’t even register that Levi was now invading his space. Blue eyes looked down at the paper on the table and scanned the article.

LOCAL FAMILY LOSES HOME IN FIRE  
By Ilse Lagnar  
Thursday, July 5th 2018  
What started as a night of fun and celebration soon ended in a day of tragedy. With the lack of rain this summer it was no surprise that authorities would advise against the use of fireworks this Fourth of July...

Levi’s eyes moved to the photo placed in the middle of the text. A house was being consumed by angry red and orange flames. A group of onlookers were gathered around. Some had sorrow etched into their faces while others stared on in disbelief as firemen attempted to calm the blaze. From the photo alone it was clear that the inferno would rise as the victor in the sad scene that was playing out. A tanned hand came up and shakily traced the shape of the flames on the page. A single splash of water landed next to Eren’s finger tips. It soiled the paper and smudged the ink. Another one followed soon after the first had touched down on the surface.  
“Eren?”  
Levi placed a hand on Eren’s arm and squeezed. Eren jumped at the contact and brought his eyes to Levi’s. They were glassy and red. Tear tracks ran down his gorgeous face in parallel lines.  
“What’s wrong?” Levi asked softly as he brought a hand up to wipe Eren’s tears away.  
“...it’s nothing.” Eren answered in a small voice.  
He sniffled and shut his eyes. As Levi gently wiped at his cheek with a thumb, Eren allowed himself to lean into the touch.  
“You wouldn’t be crying if it was nothing. Please tell me what’s wrong.” Levi tried again.  
“It’s...my...I-I don’t want to talk about this right now. I just want to carve our pumpkin.”  
“Eren...”  
“Please? I’d feel better if we could just focus on our pumpkin.”  
Levi nodded his agreement and gave Eren a loving kiss on the cheek. If Eren didn’t want to talk about what was going on then Levi wouldn’t force him. Eren brought his arm up and wiped at his nose with the sleeve of his hoodie. The action was gross, but now was not the time to be scolding Eren about using a proper tissue. Levi was curious as Eren flipped the newspaper upside down so that the house fire wouldn’t be seen anymore. What was it about that article that caused Eren so much pain? Maybe one day he’d tell Levi, but right now he just really wanted to see his boyfriend smile again and there was only one way to do that.

“Careful, you’ll lose a finger like that.”  
Levi took the carving tool away from Eren and gave his hand a once over. Luckily Eren had missed this time. The only major incident they’d had so far resulted in Eren’s thumb being bandaged up and thank goodness he didn’t need stitches.  
“I just want to get the eyes right.” Eren said as he grabbed the knife back from Levi. He picked up right where he left off and with just as much ferocity. Levi didn’t know if he should be concerned or amused at how vicious Eren was with the pumpkin. He hacked at it in a way that was reminiscent of the bad guy in an slasher film. Eren would stop stabbing his blade into the pumpkin every so often to observe his work and pick up something to scrape away at the thick orange walls with.  
“I can’t figure how to do the mouth.”  
Eren whined in frustration.  
Levi turned the face of the pumpkin in his direction. So far the thing had big eyes slanted in anger, what looked like long hair, and two pointed ears. There was a line where Eren had started in on the jaw.  
“What is this even supposed to be?” Levi questioned.  
Admittedly the character Eren was carving looked great. There was so much detail and emotion in the giant face, but Levi had no clue what it was supposed to be. It wasn’t something he’d seen on tv anywhere and Eren didn’t have any visual references lying around. Levi had just followed Eren’s suggestions whenever he was handed the tools to carve with.  
“I’m actually not sure.” Eren admitted.  
“Then how am I supposed to know what to do with this?  
“Use your imagination.”  
“I don’t have one of those.”  
Eren laughed.  
“Just do whatever comes to mind.” He said.  
Levi stared hard at the design before him. Whatever came to mind? What if what he came up with ruined the picture and disappointed Eren? He squinted his eyes at the thing and decided it should have a strong jawline. It needed to look intimidating to match the intensity of the eyes. Levi dragged his blade downward deciding the mouth should hang open like it was roaring in anger. He angled to give it a chin and then continued to complete the other half of it’s face. The thing needed teeth that looked like they could crunch through bone. Levi decided it would look even more monstrous if there was no flesh covering the rows of teeth and if the back teeth were slightly more raised than the front ones. Levi guided his blade in the shapes he desired. The scraping sound was oddly satisfying to his ears. Flakes of pumpkin fell onto his hands as he went, but he was too focused to be bothered by it.  
“That’s amazing.” Eren said in awe when Levi finally deemed his work complete.  
“Finish it off. Give it a nose.”  
Levi handed Eren the tool and watched him make a small angular nose. The face on the pumpkin stated back at the two looking like it was ready to devour everything in its sight. All it needed was a candle to give it that eerie glow. Eren seemed to have the same thought. He shot up from his seat and ran into the kitchen. Levi could hear him opening cabinet doors and rummaging through different items. Soon he was back with a small white candle in one hand and a box of matches in the other. Levi removed the top of the pumpkin and Eren dropped the candle inside. There was the scratch of a match being swiped across the match box followed by the faint crackling of the tiny flame. Eren carefully maneuvered his arm through the hole and lit the candle. Now the monster had a life to him. Levi leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.  
“Not bad.”  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Isabel smashed her finger into the door bell like her life depended on it. The chime could be heard from the other side of the door followed by Eren’s muffled voice shouting to wait a moment. Farlan reached out and pulled Isabel’s hand away before she could abuse the bell again.  
“Chill out Izzy.” He told her.  
“But I’m excited!”  
Levi rolled his eyes at the two. The three of them were standing outside Eren’s door and two of them were in costume. Isabel was dressed up as a witch with a black dress and a big black hat. She’d added some pizazz to the outfit by drawing small spider webs all over the garment with green glow in the dark puffy fabric paint. Next to her Farlan stood in a vampire get up. He had the black cape with the ridiculous collar and a pair of fake fangs poking out of his mouth. Levi didn’t wear a costume. Instead he wore a simple white button down with black slacks. To him it was the perfect going out attire. However, this wasn’t a typical night out. It was October 31st and they had been invited to Eren’s for a Halloween party. The costume kind. Isabel and Farlan has nagged him the entire ride over. Both of them were disappointed in Levi for refusing to have any kind of fun. Isabel had gone so far as to call Hanji and have them yell at Levi through speaker phone. It felt like the longest car ride of Levi’s life. Without warning the front door flew open to reveal the cutest wolf boy Levi had ever seen.  
“I’m glad you’re here!” Eren shouted in greeting.  
He had brown fur around his neck and a pair of paws on his hands. The tip of his nose was painted black and on his head were two pointed ears. Like Farlan, there were fake fangs poking out from his upper lip. The rest of his outfit was just a regular forest green shirt and some faded jeans.  
“You guys look great!” Eren said to Isabel and Farlan.  
“You do too! Wolf man is a great costume!” Isabel replied.  
Eren stepped aside to let everyone in and his eyes fell on Levi.  
“Why am I not surprised to see you didn’t dress up?”  
“Because you know me so well.”  
Eren rolled his eyes, but let Levi give him a quick kiss to the lips anyway. They all filed into the living area to see that pretty much everyone was already there.

Mikasa and Armin popped out of the kitchen to greet Levi and his crew. Mikasa wore a 50s type outfit complete with the black puffy skirt, pink jacket, and a pink ribbon around her neck. Armin wore a pair of overalls over a bright yellow t-shirt with black gloves on his hands and goggles on his head.  
“I see you came as a grumpy old man.” Mikasa teased.  
Eren laughed at that and Levi pretended to be hurt.  
“Well if that’s the way you’re gonna be then this old man is going back home to sleep.” He said.  
Eren latched onto his arm and pulled him further into the house.  
“Nope! You’re stuck here for the rest of the night!” He declared.  
The giant navy blue sectional was being occupied by Erwin who wore an adult onside made to look like a lion. He was drinking a coke and watching the scary movie that was playing on the tv. It was The Exorcist and Eren was doing his best to avoid looking at the screen. Also on the couch were Thing 1 and Thing 2, aka Sasha and Connie, sharing a bowl of kettle corn as they too watched the movie. Both had matching red sweaters and bright blue hair (well, whatever little hair Connie had on his close shaved head).  
“That color will wash out right?” Levi asked Eren.  
“I wish I could say yes, but you never really know with Connie.”  
Hanji was standing at the grey brick fire place and fiddling with a speaker on top of the mantle. They were dressed as a mad scientist, but if you asked Levi it wasn’t much of a difference from their usual attire.  
“Aha! I knew I’d find a Halloween station!” They screeched.  
Soon the sound of This is Halloween filled the room. Hanji fiddled with the volume until it was loud enough to be heard but not enough to disturb the movie watchers.  
“Oh! Levi! Where’s your costume?”  
They asked when they noticed Levi.  
“He’s wearing it.” Erwin said nonchalantly from the couch.  
The doorbell rang again and Eren left to answer it. Levi took a seat next to Erwin.  
“Another comment like that and you’re gonna be leaving here without eyebrows.”  
“But my eyebrows are my best feature.”  
“According to who?”  
Eren reentered with Peter Pan and Tinker Bell in tow. The freckled female held some kind of box over her shoulder and had her other arm wrapped around the smaller blonde.  
“So who’s ready to have some real fun?” Ymir asked the entire room.  
She walked in a placed the box in Hanji’s open hands.  
“You brought it!” Hanji yelled.  
“Umm what exactly is it?” Eren asked Historia.  
“A ouija board.”  
“A what?!”

The board was placed in the middle of the living room floor. Every one had gathered around it and were buzzing in excitement. Everyone except Eren.  
“It’s just a game Eren.” Armin attempted to reassure him.  
“If it’s just a game then why are there movies about it?”  
“Those are just movies.” Mikasa stated.  
Eren looked like he was ready to shit himself and they hadn’t even done anything yet. Levi put a hand on his back and rubbed soothing circles into it. It didn’t seem like the group was going to change their minds about playing the game.  
“You guys, what if you summon something? Then it’ll be stuck in my house!”  
“Put your big boy pants on Jaeger. We’re doing this.” Ymir stated.  
Historia gave them an apologetic smile as Ymir got up to shut off the lights and turn off the tv. Armin turned on a single flashlight in the center of the room and everyone went silent. The only sounds that could be heard were Sasha’s crunching on her popcorn and Eren’s panicked breathing.  
“It’ll be ok Eren. None of this is real.” Levi assured as he continued to rub circles into the brunette’s back.  
“I’ll start it off.” Farlan volunteered.  
Eren was now clinging to Levi for dear life as Farlan attempted to summon a spirit. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before asking the dreaded question.  
“Are there any spirits here with us?”  
The entire room seemed to be holding their breath. They all stared at the board and waited for something to happen.  
“It’s not working.” Isabel whispered causing Connie, Armin, and Eren to jump at the sound.  
“Ok we tried.” Eren said in a hurry.  
He was about to stand up when Hanji gasped. All eyes were glued to Farlan’s hand as it glided over the board and landed on the yes. Erwin’s eyebrows shot up to his forehead in disbelief and Ymir rubbed her hands together like an evil genius.  
“Now we’re getting somewhere.” She said.  
At this point Eren had begun shaking. Levi wondered why he was the only one who was worried about Eren. He couldn’t help the scowl that settled on his face as he thought of Eren being scared to tears. As he glared at the group he noticed Mikasa glancing in his and Eren’s direction. Though her face was stoic he could see the softness in her eyes. It made him feel better to know he wasn’t alone in his concern.  
“Ask another question!” Sasha shouted way too loudly.  
“Oh! Ask if ghosts have to use the bathroom!” Connie suggested.  
Eren whipped his head around towards the entrance of the room. He started hitting Levi on his shoulder frantically and a little painfully.  
“Leviiii I heard a noise!” He whisper shouted into Levi’s ear.  
“I didn’t hear anything.”  
“I didn’t either. I’m sure you’re imagining things.” Historia added soothingly.  
Farlan cleared his throat, drawing the attention back to the game.  
“Are you evil or peaceful?” He asked.  
Tap  
Tap  
Tap  
Everyone heard it that time. All eyes went to the direction of the front door.  
“Maybe it’s a bunch of kids looking for candy.” Isabel said as she adjusted her witches hat.  
“But wouldn’t they just ring the doorbell?” Armin asked her.  
“That didn’t sound like a knock on the door either. It was more like a tap on the window.” Erwin added, bushy eyebrows furrowed in thought.  
“It’s your door Jaeger. Go answer.” Ymir said with a smirk earning a slap on the arm from Historia.  
“Come on. I’ll go with you.” Levi said.  
He pulled Eren up off the floor and held his hand as he reluctantly made his way towards the door.  
Tap  
Tap  
Tap  
There it was again. This time Levi was certain it was the sound of finger nails hitting glass. Erwin had been right about the window thing. It was probably someone trying to play a prank. Eren’s steps got more hesitant as he came up to the door. He reached up with a trembling hand and placed it on the knob.  
“Open it.”  
Eren jumped and yelped at the sound of Ymir’s voice. Apparently everyone had followed them and were now huddled in the foyer waiting to see what would happen. Eventually Eren turned the knob and opened the door. There was no one there. Only the sounds of children laughing and walking up the street could be heard in the distance. Occasionally people would pass in front of their view down the sidewalk, but no one stood at Eren’s door.  
“Hello?” Eren called out into the night.  
He took a step outside and stood under the porch light. Levi figured it was a dumb prank. He was fully ready to go back into the living room when something jumped out from the side of the house and grabbed Eren by the arms.

The scream Eren let out was one of pure terror. Everyone was crowded in the doorway now, trying to get a better view of what was happening. Some kind of creepy clown was shaking Eren by the arms and growling in his face. Mikasa pushed her way to the front of the group and shouted.  
“Eren!”  
Levi didn’t know who this guy was or why he was attacking Eren, but it made him angry beyond reason. He was also worried that maybe this wasn’t a joke at all. Maybe some lunatic had lost their mind and was really trying to hurt someone. Eren was screaming and trying to land a hit on the clown, but the grip they had on his arms was too tight. So Levi did the rational thing and charged at the clown. He caught him by the middle and tackled him off the porch, taking Eren down with him. As soon as they hit the grass Eren scrambled away and bolted towards Mikasa who took him into her arms.  
“What the fuck man?!” The clown shouted angrily as he kicked at Levi and jumped off the ground.  
Levi avoided the kick by rolling out of the way. Once he was on his feet he threw a punch. His fist connected with the rubber mask and the jaw underneath. The clown’s head snapped to the side, but he recovered pretty quickly.  
“What the hell?!” He shouted.  
He threw a punch of his own only to have his arm caught by Levi. The clown was brought to his knees, his arm being pulled behind him, in one fluid movement. Levi pulled harder on the limb until he heard Mikasa yelling at him.  
“Levi wait! I know that voice!” She said.  
Mikasa was the only one brave enough to interrupt a fight with Levi. She was also the only one who could pull him off and away from his victim with relative ease. The rest of the group was standing watch from the porch, Armin had a hold on Eren’s arm. Mikasa reached down and pulled the mask off the man kneeling in the grass.  
“Jean?!” Eren’s friends shouted in unison.  
“Damnit Eren. Get your boyfriend under control.” Jean spat angrily as he rubbed at his jaw.  
“You were attacking him.” Levi growled.  
“It was a prank.”  
Mikasa stood between them and put arms hands out to prevent another fight. Levi was still buzzing with violent energy and he knew he needed to calm down, but this brat nearly gave Eren a heart attack and really had Levi thinking he was in genuine danger.  
“Fuck you Horse Face! That wasn’t funny!” Eren yelled.  
“Oh come on! You should’ve seen your face.”  
Both Levi and Mikasa glared at Jean. The male cowered a bit under their gazes. Eren came and stood next to Levi in the grass. He had his arms crossed over his chest and an angry expression on his face.  
“That was really fucked up.” He stated.  
“I didn’t mean to scare you so bad, but I think we’re pretty even.” Jean said as he continued to rub his bruising jaw.  
Eren sighed and sidestepped Mikasa. He offered Jean a hand and helped him up.  
“Just don’t do it again.”  
Jean nodded and took his mask back from Mikasa. Levi was glad that they’d made up and now it was his turn to make things right.  
“I’m sorry about your face.” Levi monotoned.  
“We all are.” Eren joked.  
The tension in the air completely fizzled out as everyone burst into laughter.  
“Why don’t we all go back in and eat some snacks and listen to spooky music? Something we can all agree on.” Hanji suggested with a clap of their hands.  
That sounded like a good idea. Levi held back as the group made their way back in. He gently kept Eren in place by putting a hand on his shoulder.  
“I just wanted to make sure you’re really ok.” He said once they were alone on the lawn.  
“Yeah. I think I am now.”  
Eren grabbed Levi’s hand and ran his fingers over his knuckles.  
“What about you? Do you need some ice for your hand?”  
“I’ll be fine. It’s not the first time I’ve punched a guy, besides I think your friend is the one who needs ice.”  
Eren chuckled and started leading them both back towards the house. Between talking to the dead and getting into a fight, this Halloween was not at all what Levi had expected. As they walked up the steps Levi caught site of their pumpkin glowing in the window. Things were definitely more fun when Eren was involved.


	5. Goodbyes and Good Mornings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi parts ways with Isabel and Farlan. Eren gets a wake up call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone miss me?  
> I’m sorry I took so long to get another chapter posted. I’ve been lacking energy recently and my motivation has been fleeting, but it feels good to be updating again.  
> Not much happening in this chapter and it’s pretty short, I hope you enjoy it anyway.

‘Get up! We need to get going already!’  
Levi barked out as he slammed his fist into the old wooden door of the guest bedroom. He stopped his assault only briefly to listen for any signs of activity coming from the other side. All he was met with was a grumpy mumble and the creaking of the mattress. He’d hoped he’d hear the light switch being flicked on and the sound of feet moving about, but nope. Clearly Isabel and Farlan were trying their damndest to ignore him and go back to sleep.  
‘If you don’t get out of bed within the next five seconds, I’m coming in there and dragging you out myself!’  
Levi threatened.  
He was dead serious about dragging their lazy asses out of their beds. It was already six in the morning and they needed to get to the airport no later than seven thirty or else the two sleeping idiots would miss their flight back home.  
Five  
Four  
Three  
Two...  
The door swung open to reveal a grumpy and disheveled Isabel.  
‘Shut up already.’ She spat at Levi.  
He payed her no mind and pushed his way past her and into the room. He immediately flicked on the lights causing Isabel to hiss and shield her eyes while Farlan groaned and pulled the covers up over his head. Levi walked over to his male friend and pulled the blanket off his body.  
‘Everyone needs to get moving. I expect you both downstairs and ready to go in the next fifteen minutes.’ He ordered.  
Farlan grumbled in response and shoved his head under his pillow.  
‘Sir, yes sir.” Isabel mumbled sarcastically before dropping her blanket where she stood and heading for the hallway bathroom.  
Levi picked her blanket up from the ground and threw it onto the pull out bed with a loud “tch” in disapproval of her messy action. 

Luckily, Levi had everyone pack the night before. This saved them time and it was a good thing too because of course they were running late. They had fifteen minutes to spare before the plane took off and Levi was just pulling into the airport parking lot. Hopefully finding a spot to park his mustang would be easy.  
‘Relax, we’re making good timing.’ Farlan said from his seat up front.  
‘We’d be making better timing if you two would’ve got up the first time.’  
Behind him Isabel chuckled like it was all a game.  
‘Come on Big Bro, it sounds like you want to get rid of us.’ She said around a mouth full of cinnamon roll.  
Levi spared her a brief glare before turning his attention back to the parking lot in front of him.  
‘I told you not to eat that in here.’ He said through gritted teeth.  
‘I didn’t get to eat breakfast so...’ Isabel defended.  
All the while she continue to take large bites of her cinnamon roll. Her fingers were sticky with icing and crumbs were collecting both on her face and clothes. Levi cringed as he watched her in the rear view mirror. So much for keeping a clean car.  
‘Let me reiterate, had you got out of bed the first time...’  
Levi trailed off as he was met with a chorus of an exasperated “we know”. Finally, after circling the parking lot three times, a spot came into view. As he pulled in it finally hit him. His friends were going home and he wasn’t going with them. For so long his home had been overseas with Isabel and Farlan. They’d gotten him through some rough times and he considered them family. A silence settled over the three as they all realized the weight of the moment. They all knew it was coming. They’d talked about this moment for months now, but somehow sitting together in the car while parked at the airport made it all more real than it had ever been. It was no longer just a topic of discussion and none of them knew how to properly react. The sound of the car door being opened was like a cannon to their ears.  
‘We should get moving then.’ Farlan stated, stepping out of the car with a strained smile on his face.  
Levi gave a quick nod and followed suit. He would see them off at the gates. They all did their best to maintain their usual demeanors, bickering and joking as they walked side by side, but that feeling of finality still lingered. It enshrouded them like a thick fog and only got heavier as they prepared to part ways. 

It was Isabel who broke first. She threw her arms around Levi’s neck and cried into it.  
‘I’m going to miss you Big Bro!’ She sobbed.  
Levi hugged her back and was soon sandwiched between her and Farlan as the taller male wrapped his arms around him as well.  
‘We better hear from you every chance you get and you better visit us sometime.’ Farlan demanded.  
‘And bring Eren with you! Keep us updated on your relationship!’ Isabel added.  
Levi wormed his way out of their hold. They were cutting it close now, the last call to board the plane had already been made. Isabel and Farlan looked towards the gates and then back at Levi. He realized he hadn’t said anything since they got off the car. His friends deserved a proper goodbye from him.  
‘You’d think I’ve had enough of you both to last a life time, but I’ll keep in touch. I can’t imagine my life without you guys so...we’ll see each other again.’  
There was a beat of silence as Isabel and Farlan blinked owlishly at Levi. He supposed they expected some kind of sarcastic comment or a simple “see you around”. Levi wasn’t known for expressing his feelings through his words, but he’d been getting better at it. It seemed he’d been awfully vocal with his feelings since Eren came along. Or at least he had been with the brunette boy.  
‘We look forward to seeing you then.’ Farlan said in a warm tone.  
Isabel’s face looked like it was about to split in half with the force of her gigantic smile. There were still tears in her eyes, but they no longer spilled over. She wiped up the last bit of moisture that remained on her cheeks with the back of her hand.  
‘Bye Big Bro!’ She sang with one last wave.  
Farlan did a two fingered salute in Levi’s direction, a motion Levi did as well, and then his friends were turning around and walking away. He stayed rooted in his spot until their backs disappeared from his sight completely. 

The car ride back to Kenny’s was quiet. Twenty minutes into the drive Levi realized he hadn’t even turned the radio on. He was too caught up in his thoughts. His chest still felt heavy from seeing his best friends go, but at the same time he knew he was starting a new chapter in his life. It would be a lie to say that he hadn’t grown as a person over time and it wouldn’t be fair to himself to stay stagnant. Besides, he had a pretty good reason to be moving forward. Speaking of, he should probably make sure Eren was awake in time for his morning classes. Once at a stop light Levi clicked his phone and watched the screen light up. With quick fingers he brought up Eren’s contact and clicked the call button. Thanks to the technology of today the sound of the line ringing blared in the speakers and echoed throughout the car. Levi turned the volume down to a decent level and waited for one of two things, either Eren picked up or forwarded him straight to voice mail. Ice blue eyes glanced at the digital clock of the mustang and noted that it was already five until eight. The ringer continued to play until finally the call was answered.  
“Hello?”  
Levi smiled at the sound of the sleepy scratchy voice on the other end.  
“Hey Brat, why aren’t you up and ready for class yet?” Levi asked.  
There was a moment where nothing but the rustling of sheets could be heard followed by a loud and drawn out yawn. Levi could easily imagine Eren trying to wake himself up enough to even be present in the current conversation. He imagined the boy rubbing at his eyes and tying to blink the sleep away. It was both amusing and endearing and it made Levi’s chest warm and fuzzy. He wished he could be there next to Eren instead of picturing it in his mind.  
“...Levi?” Eren’s sleep coated voice questioned back.  
Of course he didn’t bother to check who was calling before answering. Actually, Levi was incredibly surprised that Eren had answered at all. It seemed more likely that he would’ve tossed the phone across the room in order to get a few more minutes of rest in.  
“Good morning.” Levi greeted.  
“It’s eight in the morning. Why are you calling me?”  
“To make sure your cute ass is up in time for your nine thirty class.”  
“I had an alarm set. Why would you think it’s ok to wake me up before my alarm?”  
Ah, there it was. Annoyance creeped into Eren’s voice at having been woken from his sleep. Levi had to suppress a chuckle unless he wanted to royally piss Eren off so early in the morning. He’d save that for later.  
“Maybe now you can actually eat something and not have to speed your way to class.” Levi teased.  
“Whatever,” Eren mumbled, “why did I take morning classes again?”  
“Because you waited until the last minute to sign up and all the good spots were taken. It’s not even that early.”  
“Easy for you to say. You never sleep.”  
Wasn’t that the truth. Insomnia had plagued Levi’s life for as long as he could remember. He was lucky to get a full five hours every now and then. The last time he slept for more than that was when he’d gotten home from the amusement park. That was a great night for him.  
“Fair enough.” Levi stated.  
“Oh, you were dropping Isabel and Farlan off at the airport today right?” Eren asked.  
The heavy feeling was back and weighing on his heart. No matter how much Levi told himself it wasn’t the last he’d seen of his friends or how he knew this was a new beginning and a good thing, it still didn’t stop him from feeling saddened by their departure. Given some time he knew the feeling would fade.  
“Yeah. Almost didn’t make it in time because, like someone I know, they didn’t want to get out of bed.” Levi answered hoping to change the subject.  
“I don’t blame them. It’s too early to be functioning. I need a coffee.”  
“I’ll let you go then, so you can get dressed in time to stop in for one of those sugary concoctions you call a coffee.”  
“Don’t hate on my favorite drink. I’ll talk to you later Levi.”  
“Alright. Bye Eren.”  
There was a clicking sound and then Eren’s voice was gone. Levi had been so tempted to add on an “I love you” to his good bye, but he didn’t want to overwhelm Eren too much. He’d said it to the brunette a few times before. There was that time at the amusement park when he’d confessed his feelings, then again before he left for France, then once or twice over Skype or through text while they were separated and Eren’s response was the same every time. He would smile and say “I know” or, in the case of a text message, would put a heart and an “I know” as his response. Levi wanted so desperately to hear those magical three words directed back at him, but he knew he needed to be patient. For this, he’d wait as long as it took. Eren was more than worth it.

The front door to Kenny’s creaked loudly as Levi pushed it open. Luckily Kenny was already up and in the kitchen making breakfast for both him and Levi. The mouth watering aroma of bacon and eggs flooded Levi’s nostrils and pulled him in the direction of the food. Kenny picked up a red porcelain mug and handed it to Levi. It was filled with boiling hot water.  
“Perfect for your tea.” Kenny stated before turning back to the stove and cussing as some bacon grease splattered up onto his arm.  
Levi gave a small thanks and placed the cup on the small kitchen table. He noted that the cloth on it had seen some better days. The poppy’s were faded to a lack luster red, almost pink color, and there were stains from accidental spills over the years. One might find it unattractive at this point, but Levi found it comforting and homey. He could practically hear his mother begging Kenny to let her buy him a new one to which Kenny would reply with “Don’t waste your money Kuchel, fancy or not it still does its job.”  
Levi pulled a box of tea from the cabinet, matcha this morning, and set about steeping it in his mug. His chair scraped across the floor as he pulled it out enough to sit himself down. Kenny did the same and placed a hearty plate of food in front of them both.  
“How’d it go?” Kenny asked around a bite of bacon.  
“Fine.” Levi stated nonchalantly.  
“I know you’re probably real upset right now, but unless you stop talking to them altogether, it’s not really a goodbye is it? And I doubt you’ll just drop those two out of your life like that. Don’t worry Runt, you’ll get used to the distance and I know you won’t regret your decision to come back to your first home.”  
Levi blinked up at Kenny. His uncle could always tell what Levi was feeling and he always knew what to say. That extra bit of reaffirmation made him feel less weighted. He hid his smile by bringing his mug up to his lips and inhaling the calming scent before taking a sip.  
“Any plans with the boyfriend today?” Kenny asked.  
“No. Eren has classes today. Damn brat loaded up his schedule so he’ll be busy all day.”  
Kenny nodded and took a sip from his own mug full of coffee. They continued their breakfast in a comfortable silence. Nothing but the sounds of cars passing down the street and the occasional barking of dogs as people walked by. Levi felt his phone vibrating in his pocket and fished it out. There were two new text messages, both having come in at the same time. Levi opened Eren’s first to see a selfie of him holding a Frappuccino that looked like it was more whipped cream and sprinkles than actual coffee. He looked so delighted to be filling his system with syrup and sugar, his eyes alight and a smile that could blind the masses. Levi saved the photo, loving the way Eren’s face was illuminated by the early morning sun that flooded in from his Jeep’s open windows. He typed back a quick response.

Levi:  
Looks disgusting.

Eren answered back almost instantly. Levi really hoped that he was sitting in the parking lot and not driving around while taking photos and texting. He didn’t need Eren getting hurt, he didn’t think he could handle it if he did.

Eren:  
Rude  
I thought u liked my face.

Levi snorted causing Kenny to raise an eyebrow in his direction. 

Levi:  
Not your face, the drink. Dumbass.

Eren:  
:P

Levi rolled his eyes and decided to check out the second message. Turns out it was Erwin who was looking for him. 

Erwin:  
Good morning. I hope I’m not interrupting you, but I’ve come across a new apartment complex if you’re interested.

This was good news. Levi was still looking around for somewhere to move in. Though he liked Sina’s Walls he didn’t really feel like he wanted to live there. Considering he had very little planned for the day he figured he could give the apartment a look. He responded back to Erwin and stood up from the table. He took his plate and mug over to the sink and turned on the hot water. Kenny came up and placed his dirty dishes on the counter next to Levi knowing damn well that he couldn’t clean them up to his nephew’s standards. As Levi scrubbed at the red plate in his hands he hoped this apartment would be the one. After hearing Eren over the phone this morning he now more than ever wanted a place where he could wake up next to him. Just the two of them, a home of their own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Frappuccinos.


	6. Levi and Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi goes apartment hunting once again and gets a blast from the past. Everyone’s favorite trio spends some time together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lack of Eren. He’ll be back next chapter for sure.  
> Also, expect the Christmas chapter to be late. :)

The air outside was colder now. Levi took note of the naked trees and the various holiday decorations. Soon winter would settle in full and snow would coat the grounds. He wasn’t looking forward to it. He didn’t enjoy freezing balls and nothing was worse than trying to maneuver through snow piled high. Hopefully, this year wouldn’t be so bad. Give him just enough of the white blanket to create a beautiful scenery, but not enough to be a real pain in the ass.  
“So tell me the name of this place again.” Levi said to the blonde in his passenger seat as the outside world continued to zoom by.  
“Survey Quarters. It’s fairly new.” Erwin answered while pulling out his phone to bring up the website. Luckily, it was one of Erwin’s off days from the police station. The second they graduated he had gone off to the police academy and had been a cop at Shinganshina City Police Department ever since. It was his dream to become the chief one day and Levi had no doubts that he would achieve his goal.

Levi drove on as Erwin rattled off information about the apartments. As he did so, a Christmas song began playing on the radio prompting Levi to immediately change the station.  
“I see you’re in the holiday spirit as usual.” Erwin commented with a hint of amusement in his voice.  
“Fuck you Eyebrows. I’m not listening to that shit.”  
Erwin barked out a laugh.  
“Do you kiss Eren with that mouth?”  
“Repeatedly.” Levi deadpanned. 

They pulled up to a grey stone marquee with a green background on it. On top of the green were the words “Survey Quarters” in white cursive lettering. Next to the name was a pair of blue and white wings. Levi found it to be very eye catching and he appreciated the design.  
“Not bad.” He mumbled as he took in his surroundings.  
Erwin hummed in agreement. The buildings had a light grey paneling and some nice stone work around the bottom halves. The stones were a deep grey, almost castle like in color and the grass surrounding the buildings was a deep shade of green. Some violets were scattered about that Levi found to be very beautiful. He parked in front of the office building and mentally prepared himself for all the talk about square footage and monthly payments. He didn’t mind it too much, but some days he wished he could just bypass all the talking and be done.  
“Hopefully this is the one. They offer same day move in, maybe you can have your own place for Christmas and your birthday.” Erwin stated in a positive manner.  
“Yeah, maybe.” Levi said, hope bubbling in his chest.

No one was there to greet them when they walked into the office, but a voice could be heard coming from one of the smaller rooms. The door was partially opened, but Levi couldn’t see who was on the other side. He swore he knew that voice though. By the look on Erwin’s face he could tell that the big blonde knew it too. They waited patiently for the women on the other side to finish up what sounded like a business call.  
“So, what do you have planned for Christmas Day?” Erwin asked, casually starting a conversation.  
Levi thought about it for a moment. More than likely he’d be home with Kenny all day and if Eren was available, he’d spend time with him too. Knowing his friends though, they’d probably try to get him to do something extravagant considering it was his birthday as well.  
“We could have a party.” Erwin suggested.  
“No thanks.” Levi replied rather quickly.  
“Why not? It’s the perfect occasion.”  
“It’s not that big a deal. I’d rather just open gifts and that’s it. Maybe watch a movie or something.”  
“How about a dinner? You relax and Hanji and I will take care of the cooking.”  
Levi raised an eyebrow at Erwin’s suggestion.  
“You want to let Hanji in the kitchen? Do you not remember the incident senior year of high school?” He questioned in disbelief.  
Erwin looked like he was having war flashbacks as he remembered the incident that had Hanji buying take out for the next several years. The look of horror on Erwin’s face was instantly replaced by a wide smile. He snapped his fingers and Levi knew he’d just planned something out in his head.  
“What if Eren helped make the dinner? I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”  
Levi considered it. He could imagine Eren eager to cook something special for his birthday. As tempted as he was to see Eren’s determination set in the kitchen, he didn’t feel right asking the bright eyed boy to do such a thing for him. Before Levi could voice his thoughts the familiar voice from before interrupted.  
“Hello gentlemen how can I-Oh my god!”  
The owner of the voice was a pretty red head who was currently hugging Levi like she hadn’t seen him in years and she really hadn’t. She soon let go and wrapped her arms around Erwin’s middle, not being tall enough to reach his neck the way she did Levi’s.  
“Petra, it’s good to see you again.” Erwin said as he held her close.

Levi was not expecting to run into a long lost friend during his hunt for an apartment. In high school Levi had one group of good friends that he stuck to and Petra happened to be a part of it. There were a few others as well, but everyone knew that the trio of Erwin, Hanji, and Levi were the closest to each other out of the bunch. Once they graduated the group mostly fell apart. With everyone going off to do different things and Levi leaving the country it was bound to happen. The only two he’d kept in touch with were Erwin and Hanji. To be honest, he found himself regretting that. Now here Petra stood smiling in front of them. She looked as pretty as ever with the same hair style she’d had in high school and a cream colored business suit on. Levi noticed two silver bands adorning her left ring finger. Both were thin and had a row of diamonds set in them, but one of them also had a larger diamond set in the middle above the rest. Realizing she was married made Levi wonder just how much time had passed since they’d last spoken to each other.

“I can’t believe I’m seeing you two again! I’ve really missed everyone being together.” The small woman said.  
“It’s unfortunate we drifted apart.” Erwin replied.  
Levi nodded in agreement.  
“I’m glad we’ve bumped into each other.” He said to his old friend.  
Petra smiled at them both. She gestured for them to take a seat at her desk where she got situated  
“So tell me what’s been happening in your lives, besides one of you needing a new apartment.” Petra said with a giggle.  
“I’ve been a member of the police force for a while now. I don’t think I’ve changed too drastically since we last parted.” Erwin informed.  
“That’s great! I’m sure you’re a fantastic officer. It suits you to have a job that keeps people safe. Anyone special in your life?”  
“No, no one at the moment. Though it seems you’ve got someone.”  
Erwin pointed to Petra’s ring causing her to blush.  
“Olou and I got married a year ago...I’m sorry I didn’t invite you. We hadn’t spoken since high school...”  
Her voice trailed off. She seemed genuinely guilty about the whole ordeal, but Levi didn’t feel anything but happiness for her and the smile on Erwin’s face clearly said the same. Petra and Oulo had been together since freshman year, high school sweethearts. Though no one knew how she had been able to put up with the boy who insisted he copy Levi’s actions and bit his tongue a record breaking amount of times.  
“We’re just happy you’re doing well.” Levi stated.  
Petra gave him a smile that reached her eyes and showed off her pearly white teeth.  
“Should I even ask if you’re dating anyone?” She teased.  
“I am actually.” Levi replied.  
“Really?! Does this poor soul know it doesn’t last very long with you?”  
“Well, we’ve been together about nine months now...”  
Petra’s eyes grew wide at Levi’s statement. She stared at him in shock and disbelief before bursting into another huge smile.  
“Shut up!” She screeched in excitement.  
For a moment it felt like they were back at school sitting at their preferred table in the cafeteria. Gossip had worked its way over to the groups ears, thanks to Hanji’s big mouth, and Petra was living for it. You could practically hear their shouts of “no way” and “shut up” from the other side of the school. Petra never spread any rumors herself, but she was always well informed on the student body around her.  
“It’s true. Levi here is head over heels for a very nice young man.” Erwin stated.  
“Oh my god! Do I know him?”  
“His name is Eren. He’s a friend of Mikasa’s.” Levi answered.  
“That’s amazing! I’m so happy for you!” Petra gushed before turning to her computer and typing away, “now lets get down to business. Shall we?”

A little more than an hour later Levi found himself sat at a booth in a diner with Erwin and Hanji, who Erwin had invited for lunch. The eccentric brunette was rambling on while Levi and Erwin enjoyed their meals. Hanji was a giant ball of excitement and it showed in the way they waved their arms about as they spoke at rapid fire speed. A glob of potatoes flew off Hanji’s fork and landed on the floor behind them.  
“Can you control yourself Four Eyes? People are starting to stare and you’re making a mess.” Levi scolded.  
“But Levi~! This is so exciting! You’ve finally found a place to live!”  
“Hanji is right. This is exciting.” Erwin agreed.  
Levi rolled his eyes. Sure, this was a big deal, but that didn’t mean Hanji had to scream it to the heavens and fling food around.  
“Have you told Eren yet?” Erwin asked him after swallowing a forkful of grilled salmon.  
“No, not yet.”  
“Why not?!” Hanji yelled.  
“What does it matter to you?”  
“Aww don’t be that way! I wanna be there when you tell the cutie you’ve gotten a love nest!”  
Levi pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily. He could hear Erwin chuckling next to him on the red leather seat. Levi was beginning to consider leaving the both of them there and heading back to Kenny’s where he’d be safe from any Hanji induced headaches.  
“It’s not a love nest.” He grumbled out.  
“Then what is it?” Hanji asked with a stupid grin on their face and a stupid tone in their voice.  
“Speaking of Eren, do you have any idea what you’re getting him for Christmas?” Erwin decided to ask.  
No, Levi did not know what he was going to get Eren. He hadn’t even thought about it yet. He’d been so focused on finding an apartment and the realization that he needed a job had hit him a few days ago. Christmas was the last thing on his mind.  
“I don’t know what I’m getting him.” He admitted.  
He stabbed at bright red cherry tomato in his salad and attempted to think of something that would be a great gift.  
“You know, you could always just give him the D.” Hanji sang, their eyebrows waggling.  
Levi kicked them in the shin underneath the table causing them to shriek in pain and drop their fork onto the floor. Erwin nearly spit his drink and was simultaneously choking on the liquid and laughing. People were definitely staring at them now.  
“Ow! What was that for?!” Hanji whined.  
“For being such a dumbass.” Levi replied blankly.  
“It was just a suggestion! Sheesh!”  
“Mine and Eren’s sex life is none of your business and we’re taking it slow, if you must know. Eren’s never done any of this before and I don’t want to rush him into something he’s not comfortable with.”  
“That’s very sweet of you.” Erwin commented once he pulled himself together.  
Levi just grunted in response and went back to his food. Did he dream of doing things with Eren? Yes, but he meant it when he said he’d wait for Eren to be ready. A small smile worked its way onto his face as he thought about how Eren would kiss him longer and use more tongue now. He was growing bolder in that department and that alone made Levi’s heart swell.

“Back to this whole apartment thing...” Hanji blabbered, spitting Mac and cheese all over the white table.  
Levi cringed and picked up a clean napkin. He wiped at the area in pure disgust.  
“When are you planning on moving in?” Erwin asked while he handed Hanji a napkin for their face.  
“I’m not too sure.” Levi answered truthfully.  
He crumpled up the filthy napkin and pushed it away from himself. With any luck a waitress would come by and he could have the offending item removed. Sometimes going out to eat with Hanji was a lot like feeding time at the zoo. Messy and frightening. Levi sighed as he thought about the best time to move into his new apartment. Apartment 57 E of Survey Quarters.  
“Why not just move in tomorrow?” Hanji asked.  
“It feels too quick. I just found the place, I need a breather.”  
“I guess so. Will you be in by birthmas?”  
Levi rolled his eyes at the name Hanji had given Christmas and his birthday. They’d been using it since he’d met them. They were so proud of themselves for coming up with the title and Levi just let it be.  
“Probably.”  
He did want to be out by the holiday. He wanted to go shopping for a tree with Eren and to let the brunette have full creative freedom over the living area. He wanted to help him hang ornaments and tinsel. He also wanted to be able to have Eren alone for a bit. Truly alone. No Uncle downstairs or anyone that could interrupt them. Just the two of them sharing a kiss in the privacy of Levi’s home after exchanging gifts. He still had time until then. There was no rush to move in the very next day.  
“So what about the apartment made you decide it was the one?” Hanji asked.  
“I liked the area, prices were decent, it’s spacious, the buildings are surprisingly clean, and Petra talked me into it.” Levi listed off.  
They also had a nice bathroom with a tub big enough for two that he was sure Eren would appreciate and the countertops were a pretty white granite. Levi had a space on the top floor so they had a balcony they could set a small table on as well.  
“Wait...” Hanji looked like something had clicked in their mind, “did you just say Petra? As in Petra Ral?”  
“Petra Bozado now.” Erwin stated with a smile.  
“Shut up!” Hanji squealed.  
Their voice had gone up several octaves causing multiple people to cringe and shoot irritated looks in the trio’s direction. Hanji didn’t seem to care as they launched into a high pitched round of twenty questions involving Petra. Levi looked to the door of the diner. Erwin was distracted by Hanji at the moment who was leaning across the table and shouting excitedly in his face. Levi could leave now and no one would be able to stop him.


	7. Santa’s Helpers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys go Christmas shopping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine’s Day! Here’s a Christmas themed chapter to celebrate!  
> Hehe sorry I disappeared again. The new year brought some new changes and I’ve been preoccupied. Anyway, there’s still more Christmas to come!  
> Also! New format!! I didn’t have any problems with it this time so YAY!

Levi opened the front door of his new apartment with the tip of his shoe. He was careful not to use too much force, he didn’t want to damage the door nor did he want to dirty it with the mix of snow and dirt that sullied the bottom of his steel toed boots. He could hear Mikasa walking up the steps behind him as he pushed himself into the apartment and clumsily removed his boots, his arms preoccupied by a large cardboard box. 

“This is the last of it.” Mikasa stated from the doorway.

“I told you it wasn’t much.” Levi replied.

They’d just finished unloading what little he had into his new home. Though he insisted he could handle it himself, Mikasa had insisted she help him out. Seeing as she could be just as stubborn as he was, if not worse, Levi gave in. He was willing to bet that her curiosity had gotten the best of her and she wanted to scope out his new place more than anything.

“At least I saved you multiple trips to your car.” Mikasa said as she followed him into his room.

The sound of her voice echoed throughout the still empty area followed by the soft padding of her feet against the plush white carpeting.

“So when are you getting some furniture in here?” She asked as she placed her box on the floor.

“Some time soon I hope, but the first payment for this place is going to drain me.”

“Speaking of, I know you’ve saved up, but that can’t get you by forever. How do you plan to keep up with rent?”

Mikasa walked over to the double glass doors and opened them up. She stepped onto the balcony that was attached to the room and leaned over the silver railing. The chill of the outside air swept through the room and had Levi pulling his black coat tighter over his body. It was amazing how quickly the weather had changed as they got deeper into December. The snow fall began before winter had even officially started, but thankfully it hadn’t hindered Levi’s ability to walk outside, at least not yet anyway.

“I’m going back to work for Kenny. It’s not my dream job, but it’ll have to do for now.” He answered as he walked out to join his cousin.

“Better than nothing. You know Eren just got a job at Paradis as a server.”

“He mentioned it. He’s pretty excited to start.”

“Yup. I bet having two incomes will help with the rent.”

Levi rolled his eyes as Mikasa playfully nudged him with her elbow and gave him a wide smile. It didn’t take a genius to know what she was suggesting. It seemed at this point everyone was just waiting for Levi to announce that Eren would be moving in with him.

“What’s your point?” Levi asked, deciding to play dumb for shits and giggles.

“Oh come on. You can’t tell me you haven’t thought about asking Eren to move in.” Mikasa said with an eye roll of her own.

“I have.”

“So...?”

“So, it’s too soon.”

“What do you mean? You’ve been together for months now.”

“Technically, yes, but a good portion of our relationship was spent over the phone or a webcam. We haven’t actually been in each other’s physical company for more than a few months. I don’t want him to feel like I’m rushing him along or throwing him into a new situation.”

Levi stuck his arm out over the railing and opened his hand, palm towards the sky. Some small flurries had began to fall and melted as soon as they touched his warm skin. He could see Mikasa studying him intently in his peripheral vision.

“A long distance relationship is still a relationship.” She began, “But I get what you’re worried about and I’m glad you care about Eren that much, but it seems to me like you’re a little too afraid to move things along. I’m not saying you should force Eren into anything and if you ever do anything to hurt him I’ll kick your midget ass, but sometimes you just need to make a move. You can’t always be waiting around.”

Levi sighed and crossed his arms. He supposed Mikasa was right, aside from her midget comment, and he shouldn’t be so afraid of progression. He couldn’t keep treating Eren like a clueless kid who was in over his head because it wasn’t fair to either of them. It’s not that Levi resented Eren for his lack of experience in the relationship field, hell Levi himself wasn’t exactly a master of romance, but sometimes he found himself wanting more and moving in together was exactly that. He wanted to wake up with Eren and tell him good morning in person instead of through a text. He wanted to see Eren every night instead of every other night. He wanted to do the domestic thing with him. Maybe he shouldn’t make himself wait so long for it.

“Maybe after the new year. Once I’ve settled in and have a bed we can sleep in.” He said with a small smile on his face.

New Years wasn’t too far away. December had a tendency to pass by in a rush of holiday festivities and shopping sprees anyway. It seemed like a decent time frame. Now it was just a matter of Eren saying yes.

Levi turned to go back inside. The cold was getting to him and making him shiver. Mikasa followed close behind and shut the doors. Without warning she was throwing her arms around him and giving him a tight hug from behind. The hug didn’t last more than a few seconds before Mikasa had let go and moved to stand directly in front of him. She had a giant smile on her usually stoic face.

“What?” Levi questioned.

“I’m just really happy for you.”

“Well don’t get too happy. I haven’t even asked yet. There’s a chance Eren will say no.”

Mikasa’s smile only managed to get bigger somehow. She had sparkle in her eye as if she were the keeper of the world’s best secret. The lasttime Levi saw Mikasa looking this happy was at Christmas many years ago.

“He’ll say yes. I know he will.” She stated.

It was all Levi could do, but give her a genuine smile of his own. She had no reason to lie to him and she hadn’t been wrong thus far. She was the one who got them together after all, some how knowing that it was meant to be.

“Thanks Mikasa,” Levi stated, “not just for the advice, but for everything.”

“You’re welcome. I should probably get going though, you’ve got a date don’t you?”

Levi glanced at his wrist watch. He didn’t realize the time. Eren was probably wondering where he was right about now and the last thing he wanted was to keep the brat waiting. Levi followed Mikasa out the front door and hoped the traffic wouldn’t be too bad.

Eren was already outside when Levi pulled up. He had his hands shoved into the pockets of his black hoodie, a slight shiver wracking his body. Levi wondered if he’d been waiting outside in the freezing cold for the past twenty minutes because it sure did look like it.

Eren climbed into the car like his life depended on it. His nose and cheeks were rosy from the cold. He sniffled a bit as he shoved his hands in front of the air vents. Levi took that as his cue to turn up the heat just a little more.

“Sorry I’m late.” Levi apologized.

“It’s ok.” Eren said with a smile on his face as if he wasn’t a popsicle at the moment.

“Were you waiting outside this whole time?”

“Kinda, Yeah. My dad and I left at the same time and he locked the door behind us. Ten minutes into waiting I realized I forgot my key so I couldn’t go back in.”

Eren was rubbing at the back of his neck in embarrassment.

“You need to be more careful about these kinds of things and why are you only wearing a hoodie? It’s freezing out. You should’ve dressed more warmly.” Levi stated.

“Geez what are you, my dad?” Eren teased back.

“Not unless you have a daddy kink.”

Eren sputtered something incoherent and Levi couldn’t tell if the red on his cheeks was still an affect of the cold or not. It was so easy to tease the boy and the result was always adorable. Maybe Levi was a bit mean for it, but he’d never take it too far. As Eren sniffled some more Levi felt guilt settling in his stomach. Sure, Eren had forgotten his key, but if he’d been on time it wouldn’t have been too much of a problem.

“I’m sorry I made you wait though. You’re freezing balls because of me.” Levi apologized yet again.

Eren only continued to smile. He shook his head and wiped at his nose with his sleeve, something Levi found less than appealing. He’d let it slide this time though.

“Levi it’s fine, I’ll survive. Besides I’m ready to go shopping.” Eren said as he leaned in to give Levi a quick kiss on the cheek.

They were currently headed to the nearest mall so that Eren could do his Christmas shopping. Levi had promised to accompany him and when they were done they’d grab some dinner. After that Levi wanted to take Eren to his new apartment. He still hadn’t told him about it and he was dying to see the look on his boyfriend’s face when he found out. Hopefully it got the brunette’s stamp of approval because there was no going back now.

“So who exactly are you shopping for today?” Levi asked as he maneuvered the car through the streets.

“I have a small list. Mikasa, Armin, dad, Mikasa’s parents, Connie, Sasha, Jean, Historia, umm you of course, but I can’t buy it when you’re with me...oh! I also wanted to get something for Erwin and Hanji...” Eren rattled off his list while keeping count on his fingers. He’d trailed off to figure out if he was missing anyone else.

“I thought you said it was a small list.” Levi commented.

“Small-ish.”

Bless their souls they’d probably be out all night. Levi wasn’t exactly looking forward to the crowd of Christmas crazed people they’d have to fight through, but he wasn’t about to break his promise to Eren. Considering there was still time until Christmas it couldn’t be that bad. Everyone knows that half the population waits until the very last minute to buy their things, no matter what holiday it was.

Luckily Levi was right. There was still a decent amount of space to walk around inside the mall and only certain stores were a bit crowded. Unless there was a sale going on, good luck even making it past the entrance of the store if that was the case.

“Mikasa is first because I know exactly what to get her.” Eren announced as he led Levi towards a large crafting store.

There were only a few people wandering around inside, mostly middle aged women and the occasional men and teenagers. There were a few different aisles with specific items unique to their craft. Levi saw rows of scrapbooks and stickers as well as an entire wall dedicated to baking needs. In the middle of the store was a small area for different fabrics and next to it was an aisle for sewing kits, fabric scissors, and things of that nature. Eren gravitated towards that aisle and began inspecting some of the sewing kits they had lined up. He picked one up that came in a black zip up case. Inside there was a pair of pink scissors, pink measuring tape, different color thread, a pack of buttons, a pink case full of different sized needles, and some pink push pins. Eren was smiling like he’d hit the jackpot.

“This is the one.” He stated.

“You sure?” Levi asked.

It seemed too easy that they’d find exactly what they were looking for on the first try. Then again, Eren did say he already knew what he wanted to get Mikasa.

“It’s perfect! It’s got her favorite color and she‘s mentioned wanting to learn to sew so she could fix up her scarf.” Eren said.

Levi took the case from Eren and looked it over. If Mikasa really wanted to sew then this gift was perfect after all. The pricing wasn’t too bad either.

“After this we have to go to the bookstore upstairs.” Eren said.

“What’s at the bookstore?” Levi questioned.

“Armin’s been interested in the history of our military so I figured I’d get him a book.”

Levi nodded in thought. That was a good idea and it seemed they could knock out two birds with one stone. He happened to know someone on Eren’s list that was interested in the same thing.

“You could get Erwin a book about military strategies while you’re at it. He’s got that in common with your little friend.” Levi informed.

“They can be pretty alike huh? It’s kind of scary.”

“Scary is what those two could do if they combined their brain power. No one would be safe.”

Once Eren paid for the sewing kit they headed for the nearest escalator. Levi didn’t see the point in the contraption when their legs worked perfectly fine and they could easily walk up one flight of stairs. Escalators made him feel trapped in a way. Once you got on you were stuck between the person on the step above you and the person below you while you moved upwards at a snails pace. If you were lucky and there was no one in front of you then you could walk up the moving steps, but only if you were lucky. He supposed it was better than an elevator where space was limited and everyone and their moms tried to squeeze in, but at least those moved a little faster.

Eren didn’t care at all. He continued to hold Levi’s hand while he observed the people of the mall from his new vantage point. After what felt like an eternity they finally set foot on solid ground again. Eren’s head was whipping left and right in search of the bookstore. Levi would’ve offered direction, but the last time he’d been in this mall was years ago. He couldn’t remember shit about it aside from where the game room was, if their even was a game room anymore. He was pretty sure the whole thing had been remodeled recently and that definitely didn’t help him any.

“I think it’s this way.” Eren said while pointing to his left.

Levi raised an eyebrow at him. How could he not know where he was going? Didn’t teenagers spend all their time at the mall nowadays?

“Don’t give me that look. I don’t pay attention when Mikasa is the one leading the way, plus there’s a couple of new stores throwing me off.” Eren defended.

“So what makes you so sure it’s to the left?”

“Because I remember passing that kiosk with the perfume. The girl there always tries to get me to buy some.”

Levi took note of the small kiosk filled with over priced perfumes and covered in a string of Christmas lights. There was a young girl there with long black hair and some glamorous makeup. She didn’t look interested in her job one bit, instead focusing on her phone and chewing on her painted nails. However as soon as Eren approached the area her bored attitude was gone. She ambushed him in a matter of seconds.

“Hi! I see you’re back.” She said in way too sweet of a tone.

The girl stood directly in front of them, cutting off their path.

“Uh yeah, I’m just trying to get to the bookstore.” Eren replied.

He made to step around her, but she continued to block the way.“You sure you don’t want to stick around and buy something? You know I happen to be wearing the latest name brand. Do you like it?” The girl asked as she flipped her hair over her shoulders and bat her eyes up at Eren.

Levi understood now. She wasn’t interested in selling, she was interested in Eren. The way she leaned in closer and started smoothing out the sleeve of Eren’s hoodie said it all.

“I don’t really smell anything.” Eren said, completely oblivious to the situation.

His statement only prompted the girl to move even closer. She got on her tip toes and tilted her head, her hand now firmly gripping Eren’s bicep. With her free hand she tucked some stray hair behind her ear and smiled shyly at the boy in front of her.

“Can you smell it now? Do you like it?” She asked.

Eren being Eren actually took a sniff of the poor girls neck. It was slightly hilarious, but mostly hard to watch. Eren had no clue the girl in front of him was interested and the girl had no clue Eren wasn’t. She was so absorbed in the brunette, she didn’t even realize he was holding hands with Levi. She didn’t even realize Levi existed for that matter.

“It smells ok, I guess.” Eren answered.

“Great!” She exclaimed, “you know I can take your number down if you want to keep up to date or if you have any questions...or if you just want to talk...”

Levi had seen enough. It’s not that he was jealous, much, but damn he wanted to put this poor girl out of her misery. So he went in for the kill.

“I don’t think he’s interested in anything you have to offer.”

Ouch. His tone might have been a little colder than he intended. The girl’s eyes snapped to him instantaneously. She looked kind of pissed at him for interrupting. Levi simply lifted their linked hands up for her to see and to drive his point home.

“We’re trying to get to the bookstore so if you don’t mind...” Levi said as he pulled Eren along and sidestepped the girl.

She just stared at them in complete shock, her eyes darting back and forth between the two males. Levi could pinpoint the exact moment everything clicked into place for her.

“Right, never mind then. Forget I even said anything.” She said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Levi watched her sulk back to her place at the kiosk and resume typing on her phone. No doubt she was going to share with all her friends that the guy she had a crush on was gay. Part of Levi felt bad for her, but he mostly felt triumphant. Eren was a catch and Levi had gotten lucky with him.

“She seems upset.” Eren noted as they walked away.

“Yeah. She thought she had you this time.” Levi deadpanned.

He had a feeling the real meaning behind his statement would go right over the brunette’s head. He was proven right when Eren just shrugged it off.

“I’m mean, I’d buy something, but I don’t need perfume. Mikasa doesn’t even use it. She prefers a body spray and apparently there’s a difference...” Eren rambled.

Levi couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled in his throat. It escaped him in small, happy puffs as his shoulders shook. Eren looked so confused. The brat was so adorably lost, but Levi didn’t think he needed to know that perfume was the last thing on anyone’s agenda.

“Isn’t that the bookstore over there?” Levi asked as he attempted to stop his affectionate laughter.

Up ahead were some glass windows covered in big hand drawn snowflakes. The parts of the glass that weren’t decorated held posters advertising the newest works in fiction. The name of the place was “Armored Words” and if that wasn’t their destination then Levi just didn’t know anymore.

“That’s the one!” Eren shouted.

He dragged Levi along at a jog. They covered the short distance in no time. Once they crossed the threshold they slowed to a normal pace. It was odd entering the bookstore. All the noise of the mall could still be heard, but it faded to the background and became barely noticeable. It was like they had walked into a library. Everyone was whispering and being as quiet as possible. The difference in atmosphere was immense. Levi almost felt like he was breathing too loud and someone would shush him for it.

“What section should we look in?” Eren asked, his voice calmer and quieter than usual.

Levi’s eyes scanned the aisles. Nonfiction felt like the best place to start. There had to be some kind of subsection in there. He pulled Eren towards the aisle and released his hand to better browse through the books. Levi looked through the shelf on the left while Eren searched the one on the right. He was beginning to second guess himself when a small label reading “military/war” caught his eye.

“Here.” Levi announced.

His finger tapped the spine of a particularly thick book. Eren abandoned his search and made his way to Levi’s side.

“Do you think it matters what book I get them? A specific war maybe? Or certain strategies?” Eren questioned.

“I don’t think so. Armin seems like he’d appreciate anything that contains new or interesting information and I can safely say the same goes for Erwin.”

Levi pulled out the book he’d tapped his fingers on and handed it over to Eren. It was a basic black hardcover with golden words on it. Eren ran his hand down the front and opened it up to flip through some pages. A couple of pictures were scattered though out along with some drawings of formations. Eren closed the book with a smile on his face.

“Armin will love this.” He stated.

Levi pulled another copy of the book from the shelf and held it out to Eren.

“I think Erwin would appreciate it as well.” Levi said.

“Is it really ok to give them the same gift though? Doesn’t that seem lazy?” Eren asked.

“No. You found something they’d both like and you bought it for them. No big deal. Besides, they’ll probably be excited to compare notes or some shit.”

“They can start a book club.”

Levi snorted at Eren’s comment. The brunette was laughing silently to himself as he took the book from him. So far this whole shopping thing was a breeze. Levi had imagined they’d be running from store to store in a desperate attempt to find the perfect gifts for everyone.

“Where do we go from here?” He asked Eren.

The bright eyed boy wore a guilty expression on his face. 

“I actually have no idea. Armin and Mikasa are always the easiest to shop for. Everyone else...” Eren trailed off and started rubbing at the back of his neck again.

So maybe shopping wasn’t going to be so easy after all. Levi supposed that was ok because he’d just realized he still had no idea what to get Eren. Following him around might give him some kind of idea. There had to be something out there that would catch his boyfriend’s eye.

“That’s still ok right? You don’t really have to help me if you don’t want to...” Eren stated.

The disappointment that colored his tone didn’t go unnoticed by Levi. He realized he’d slipped into his thoughts and had been quiet for far too long.

“Of course I’ll still help you brat. I just got caught up thinking about something.” Levi assured.

Eren smiled in response and headed for the cash register. Levi trailed behind him thinking about what he knew about Eren’s friends that could help him out, what Eren might like as a gift, where he’d take him for dinner, and how Eren would react to the new apartment. First things first, figuring out what store to go to next.

**Author's Note:**

> There will be more chapters! :)


End file.
